Numb
by Flashchimp
Summary: Serenity spread lies about Tea and Kaiba's relationship to get rid of her. She succeeded and the gang hurt Tea. But lucky for her, Kaiba came just in time and saved her. But because of her condition, he has to take care of her. Will romance blossom?
1. chap 1

Disclaimer: "I do not own yugioh."

"talk"

'thoughts'

* * *

...

"It's so nice of you to come to the mall with me Tea. Mai is gone and I feel so lonely." Serenity said to a smiling Tea.

"No problem Serenity. Besides, I like hanging with you. I hang out with the guys all the time. It's a good break for me." Tea replied with a smile.

'And I want a break from you. You always hog all the guys. But that will change, soon.' Serenity thought with malice in her heart. She had moved to Domino so study at the same high school as the gang, imagining herself to be the centre of attention as she was during Battle City. But her expectations were shattered by the reality. In Domino High, she was far from popular. She was known as Joey Wheeler's sister and nothing more. Her shy, quiet personality had placed her at the bottom of the social hierarchy. But Joey and the rest of the gang enjoyed popularity and recognition. When she was with them, she was noticeable. But even then, she felt like an outsider. They were all in the same grade and had same classes. They talked and joked about comfortable while she sat quietly, smiling and watching their antics, trying to participate yet failing to do so. She could not fathom what had changed after Battle City. Why were they not paying her so much attention anymore? Why was Joey not being over-protective? Why were Tristan and Duke not fighting to get her attention?

There had to be an explanation. And that came in the form of a person. Tea Gardner was the reason. She was always there, talking and laughing with the boys. She was always instigating or mediating most of their actions. She was always the centre of attention, or as Serenity concluded, she always wanted to be the centre of attention. Serenity had noticed that during Battle City, everyone was focused on her and Tea had pretty much being ignored. That must have annoyed the brunette, causing her to be jealous of Serenity. So now she was doing everything to get attention. It was the only logical explanation. And the worst part was, her efforts had succeeded. Serenity had been rendered a nobody thanks to Tea's malicious efforts. Oh how Serenity wished to punish Tea for taking away her brother and friends.

"Hey Serenity, you okay? You just spaced out." Tea asked her friend, concerned at her far-away look and lack of response.

"I am fine tea. Lets go inside and buy some clothes." Serenity assured her with a smile.

"Okay." Who was Tea to say no to shopping. They walked inside the mall.

(After an hour)

Both girls were loaded with shopping bags. They quickly found a table in the mall food court and sat down.

"That was nice." Tea said.

"Yeah. We should do that again someday." Serenity replied.

"Sure. It's nice to know I won't have to fight with Joey and Tristen for my food for once." Tea said and Serenity laughed, but on the inside, she was burning with anger and jealousy. Of course Tea would bring up her friendship with the guys. She was reminding Serenity of her close bond with them and rubbing the fact in Serenity's face that she was better friends with her brother. What a low thing to do.

"Hey Seto, it's Tea. Let's go say hi to her." A voice came from behind them, startling the two girls. And soon, Seto Kaiba and Mokuba appeared. Tea frowned at Kaiba but smiled at Mokuba.

"Hi Mokuba. What are you doing here in the mall?" Tea asked the kid.

"I came here to buy some games." He bounced with excitement.

"Really. Maybe I can help. I…" Tea started but Seto interrupted her.

"The day we need help from the likes of you will be the day the world comes to an end." He sneered.

"I am not talking to you kaiba so just shut up. I play games with Joey and Tristen all day and I know a thing or two about them." Tea said, angered by his rude behavior.

"Cool. I didn't know you played video games." Mokuba replied, amazed that a girl was interested in video games. His female classmates didn't play many video games, or at least not the ones he liked.

"Now you do." Tea smiled.

"Let's go Mokuba. I can't waste any time here." Seto said gruffly.

"Yeah, just leave Mokuba, before I say something to your brother I'll regret." Tea said as she glared at Seto. She ignored his death stare and opened the bag of chips she had bought from the store.

"Oh, is there a toy inside Tea?" Mokuba asked her curiously.

"Let me check. Umm, here it is. Hey look. It's a blue eyes white dragon, from my first bag." She held up a tiny blue eyes.

"No fair. I eat these everyday and never get this toy and you get it from your first bag." He pouted. Tea giggled at his expression.

"Here, you can have it." She held it out for him. Mokuba's eyes became wide.

"You… you mean it?" He couldn't believe it.

"Of course." She said with a smile. "It's nothing big, just a toy. Just take it. Your brother is glaring at me and I want to get away from him before I start melting." She winked. Mokuba took the toy but wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug.

"Thank you Tea. Thank so much. You are the best." He then walked away with this brother, who was still glaring at Tea, but not that intensely now. Tea turned to Serenity, which had been quiet and ignored during the whole ordeal.

"Okay Serenity, let's go grab some real good." Tea said. Serenity snapped out of her thoughts and smiled sweetly at Tea.

"Tea, can I ask you something? You hang out with Yugi all the time so can you learn some new dueling strategies from them and teach me. I am kind of shy." Serenity said.

"Sure. I'll do that. But maybe you can ask Joey. He is pretty good too." Tea pointed out.

"Joey is not a very good teacher." Serenity admitted with a smile and Tea let out a laugh. "Plus, I want to surprise him by challenging him and then coming close to beating him because I already know I won't be able to beat him."

"Hey, you never know so don't give up already." Tea said with an encouraging smile.

"And please, don't tell them I want to know that. Promise me. I don't want Joey to get too excited."

"Okay, I promise. Now let's go before Mr. Icy cold comes back."

….

Serenity entered the game shop, alone. Everyone was sitting inside, doing stuff. Yugi and Joey were talking about duel monsters and Duke and Tristen were talking about girls. When she entered, they looked up at her.

"Hey sis. You're back. Where is Tea?" Joey asked her as soon as she stepped into the game shop. She could feel her irritation rising, but she controlled herself.

"Oh Joey." She started crying and ran to him. He stood up and hugged her.

"What's wrong sis? Tell me." Joey asked her worriedly.

"I went to the mall with Tea… and then…." She started.

"Then what Serenity. What happened? You can tell us." Yugi encouraged her.

"Kaiba came." Serenity said.

'That jerk. Did her hurt you sis?" Joey asked her in an enraged voice.

"No. He went to Tea." She sniffed.

"Then Tea must have given him hell." Duke smirked along with Tristen. They had seen the two teens interact on more than one occation and knew that the exchange of acidic comments was the norm.

"I was in the change room when he came. That's what I thought she would do. But she looked around to see if I was there. I was behind the clothes and was walking towards her, but she and Kaiba started talking normally. They even hugged." Serenity said.

"What? What are you saying Serenity? I don't understand." Yugi asked her, confused.

"It's true. I was shocked so I decided to stay hidden to see what they were doing."

(Flashback. Serenity's version.)

"Those losers aren't here?" Kaiba said, holding Tea around the waist.

"No, I left them behind. But that brat Serenity is with me." Tea replied as she got _comfortable_ in Kaiba's hold.

"Mutt's sister?" Kaiba said with disgust.

"Yeah. God, sometimes I wish I could kill her. She is so stupid and annoying." Tea said sighing.

"Patience Tea. The only reason I want you to be with those geeks is to get me information. And so far, you have done a great job." Seto said, nuzzling her neck.

"I can't believe they trust me so much. And that Yugi, he is all wrapped around my finger, and so is his spirit."

"Good. Keep up the charade. I want to defeat and humiliate Yugi just like I humiliated Wheeler."

"And you managed that with my help." Tea said with a devilish smile.

"Of course. You were the one who told me about all of his cards and possible strategies. I used my skills and that information to defeat him." Seto Kaiba quickly agreed.

"I have learnt all the cards in Yugi's deck and many strategies too, and I told you all of them."

"And I am proud of you. But there is still much to do."

"I don't like being away from you Seto." Tea said with a pout.

"And I don't either. So, today, when you go to those losers, ask Yugi for some new strategies. See if he got any new cards. Then you can come to me, for good. I will not just defeat him, I'll break him." Seto said, gently running his fingers through her hair.

"Okay. I will ask him. But I want something in return." Tea said, fingering his shirt buttons innocently.

"And I know just what you want." He leaned forward and kissed her. Serenity, who was watching this, gasped at that, loud enough for them to hear. They pulled back sharply and looked around. Tea walked towards Serenity and grabbed her arm, dragging her out of her hiding place.

"So, this bitch was spying on us." Seto said, glaring at Serenity.

"What were you doing there? What did you hear?" Tea asked in a furious tone.

"I heard everything. How could you do this Tea? We thought you were our friend." Serenity said bravely, not letting herself be intimidated by them.

"You thought wrong. But you are not going to let anyone else know that. You got it?" Tea said.

'No. I can't betray them like you have. I am not a horrible person like you. I'll tell them."

"Then I'll make sure you never talk again." Seto said, as he moved towards her. Serenity wanted to run away but Tea was holding her tightly.

"I'll take care of her Seto." Tea said. She turned to Serenity and twisted her arm. Serenity yelped in pain but Tea didn't stop. She pulled her hair and spoke. "You will tell them nothing. I can do much worse; WE can do much worse to you. And besides, those morons trust me too much to believe you. They would never listen to you, and if I tell them, they would blame you."

"It's up to you now. You can tell them and get rejected by them or keep your mouth shut." Seto said. "And I will make sure you suffer Wheeler. Mark my words." Serenity only cried in pain and helplessness and they smiled.

"I'll see you at the mansion then so we can continue." Tea smiled seductively at Seto and he walked away. She turned to Serenity.

"Listen to me and listen carefully. Don't say a word of this to anyone. No one would believe you, and you would be branded as a liar. I will make up a story about you being jealous and have them dislike you. I have been with them for many years and I know them much better than you do. And Seto will do much worse. He will ruin your life. He had the power and resources to do that. So for your own sake, keep your mouth shut. I will walk out of their lives as soon as I have what I want and everything will be fine. Understand?" Tea said calmly to Serenity who stared mutely before nodding her head.

(End flashback)

Joey growled like an animal. Tristen and Duke were angry too, but Yugi seemed shocked.

"Are you sure this happened Serenity?" Yugi asked her.

"Yes, it did. I saw it with my own eyes." Serenity said confidently.

"I don't believe it." Tristen said in disbelief.

"So you are saying that my sister is lying Tristen?" Joey growled as Serenity sobbed harder in his chest.

"No. It just sounds wrong, but if she saw it, then it must be true." Duke said, trying to calm Joey.

"All this time, we trusted her. But now, she will pay for betraying us, and for hurting my sister." Joey yelled angrily.

"No." Everyone turned to stare at Yami. "Not yet. Let's wait for Tea to come. Maybe she is fooling Kaiba and not us." Joey wanted to argue but Yami silenced him, and they all waited in silence.

Serenity sat, confident and satisfied. She would get Tea out of their lives and things would go back to how they were in Battle City. Her brother would be hers and hers only. With Tea around, he shared more with her than with Serenity even though they were siblings. He trusted Tea more than he trusted Serenity. But with Tea gone, he would confide in Serenity. Tristan and Duke would also pay attention to her, especially Duke.

At the end of Battle City, Tea had asked Duke to teach her dungeon dice monsters and he was more then happy. He even flirted with her sometimes. That bitch only laughed and ignored it, but Serenity knew the truth. She knew what kind of attention-seeking person Tea was. And she was sick of her innocent charade. So she had come up with a plan to get rid of her for good. Yami, the spirit, still supported her because he had the hots for her. But all that was going to change now. Her plan was perfect. She had wanted to show the guys that she was a better person and friend, and more loyal than Tea, but never had a situation come where she could prove so. But today, the opportunity had presented itself in form of the Kaiba brothers. The gang, especially Joey disliked the elder Kaiba immensely, and believed any bad rumor they heard about him. Involving him in the scenario had been smart on her part because even if they confronted him, it would end in disaster and her claim proved true. There was no way they would talk and try to correct a misunderstanding.

It was perfect.

* * *

Tea entered the game shop and greeted everyone, but got nothing but weird stares in return. Joey and Tristen looked ready to burst. Yami looked the only one calm. Serenity was nowhere to be seen. Tea figured she was around somewhere. She turned her attention to Yami.

"So, what have you been doing?" Tea asked them.

"Nothing. Just hanging out." Yami replied.

"Cool. So do you mind teaching me some new dueling strategies? I want to learn just in case I need them." Tea asked him with a smile and suddenly Joey screamed.

'That's it. You bitch" Joey said, pointing to tea, "I've had enough of you, you traitor." Tea was shocked.

"What are you saying Joey?" She asked him, shocked and confused.

"Don't you mean "mutt"?" Joey sneered.

"Why would I call you that?" Tea asked him, not understanding what he meant.

"Because that's what you really think of him." Tristen spoke, trying to hold his anger.

"No, I don't. I-."Tea started, Dut duke interrupted her.

"Can the bullshit tea. We all know it. Everything, every single word. The conversation you had with Daiba. We know it all."

"Know what?" Tea was still confused. Then Serenity appeared behind Joey.

"You have been with him all this time. That's why you tried to help him. And I thought you were just being kind. Boy, how wrong was I." Joey said with disgust.

"Joey, I don't understand." Tea asked them. She was utterly confused.

"But we do, perfectly well." Tristen said.

"Tristen, what the hell are you saying?" Tea said, raising her voice. She was getting frustrated at their veiled claims. What exactly were they accusing her of? What had she done with Kaiba?

"Did you meet Kaiba today Tea?" Yami asked her calmly.

"Yeah, I did and-." Tea began but she couldn't continue because she was back-handed… by Yami. She stared at him, shocked, not believing what happened. Her hand went to her stinging cheek, but no tear fell. She was too shocked to cry.

"So Serenity was right. And I actually believed it wasn't true." Yami said sadly.

"What … what truth?" Tea turned to look at Serenity who had a thinly velied smile on her face.

"She told us about your little conversation with Kaiba. We know you are his little bitch." Joey said angrily.

"You are the one who has been giving away Joey's and Yugi's strategies to Kaiba, so he can defeat them. You told him of all the new cards they got so he could get counter-cards and be prepared." Tristen said.

"No, that's not true. I-." Tea tried to explain but was interrupted again.

"Shut up. Just shut up. I've had enough of your lies." Yami yelled for the first time, losing his cool.

"Get the hell out of our face. Go sleep with kaiba or something." Duke growled. Now tears fell from her eyes. Without saying another word, she ran out of the house.

She couldn't believe what happened. How did they even think of that? They accused her of treachery. But why? She didn't do anything wrong. She was with Serenity the whole day. They went ballistic for no reason. And why did they accuse her of being with Kaiba. They all knew she hated him like them. Then why? Yami said Serenity told them everything. Told them what? That she met Kaiba at the mall? But then why didn't she tell them that they argued, like always? She felt like blaming Serenity for not supporting her.

She ran down the streets filled with people on the sidewalks and into her apartment. She slammed the door and fell on her bed, letting the tears fall freely. Unknown to her, the people she ran past, also included the famous Seto Kaiba, the man she was accused to have consorted with. He was about to enter a building where his meeting was to be held when something swept past him. He turned around just in time to see the outline of Tea's tear streaked face.

'Wonder what's her problem. Maybe her friends dumped her.' He chuckled at the thought, knowing the world would be taken over by pigs before that happened. 'They are too obsessed with her, especially that Yugi or his supposed spirit. They would never leave her. Besides, her issues are none of my business.' He concluded and entered the building.

...

* * *

please review.


	2. chap 2

Disclaimer: "I do not own yugioh."

"talk"

'thoughts'

* * *

...

Tea looked around to see if any of her "friends" were there. She was in school, walking towards her locker. She always walked with them to school, but after what happened at the game shop yesterday, she decided not to see them today. She was angry at them and wanted them to apologize. If they didn't, then she would ignore them. They would be like everyone else; a familiar face and nothing more. She stood in front of her locker and opened it. Many smiling faces greeted her; faces of her friends, sticking in her locker, in form of pictures. But to her, it seemed like they were laughing at her and mocking her. The conversation from yesterday replayed in her mind and her hand unconsciously touched her cheek where Yami had slapped her. Anger coursed through her and she slammed her locker shut, not wanting to see those horrible faces anymore. While she was trying to control herself from bursting, she heard a voice.

"Hey Tea. How was your day yesterday?" The voice was dripping with sarcasm, and it belonged to Serenity. Tea turned around to glare at the girl.

"What the hell are you talking about? You were there. You saw what happened." Tea fumed. "Why didn't you tell them that truth?"

"Because if I did, then I would have had to explain why I lied to them in the first place." Serenity replied cooly.

"So it was you who told them all those lies." Tea said, not believing her ears.

"Yes. And they believed me." Serenity smirked.

"WHY?" Tea nearly screamed. She was having trouble controlling herself from strangling the girl who she thought of as a friend.

"I was sick of you getting all the attention. You stole my brother from me, so I stole your friends." Serenity replied with same anger.

"What are you talking about? I didn't steal Joey from you." Tea defended herself.

"Oh yeah? Then how come he always tells you everything and hides it from me? How come he trusts you more? He spends more time with you then me." Serenity asked with jealousy.

"Because I have been with him for a long time, much longer then you have. You were with your mom and I was with him. He trusts me. Besides, the reason he tells me everything and not you is because he doesn't want you to get worried." Tea replied.

"Shut up. I am not gonna listen to your hollow excuses any more." Serenity said. "Joey is my brother. He loves me and should trust me. But because of you, he ignores me. You probably filled his head with words against me so he wouldn't trust me. And you thought I was too dumb to figure it out or do something about it. Well, I showed you, didn't I? Now all your friends like me and trust me over you." Serenity finished triumphantly.

"You are delusional and need help." Tea said, staring at Serenity. "I don't know how you got those ideas in your head but they are wrong. And I will tell the guys the truth. I will tell them what you told me right now."

"Good luck doing that. After you left, I just made up more lies about you. You would be lucky to get out of school unharmed today." Serenity said with a sickening smile. "So take my advice and leave now. You know them and you know how they can be when angered. And I made sure I made them angry enough that they won't listen to a word you will say. Just walk out of our lives quietly and you will be fine. It's for your own good."

"How dare you act all superior you bitch? You are nothing but an insecure liar. I hate you for what you have done, and I won't forget this. I will make you pay for what you did to me. You just watch." Tea threatened in a loud voice, fists clenched at her sides, but Serenity only laughed mockingly and left. Everyone in the hallways was looking at Tea, not knowing what got into her to make her react that way. She was always so calm, so nice. This was definitely weird. Tea glared at them and walked towards her class.

Serenity on the other hand had another brilliant idea. She ran towards Joey and the others, crying again.

"What happened Serenity?" Joey asked her as she sobbed into his chest.

"I was walking in the hallways when Tea saw me and started yelling at me, for telling you guys everything. She called me a bitch and said that she would do something to me, something bad. Joey, I am scared. What if she and Kaiba hurt me?." Serenity lied, yet again.

"They won't do anything." Yugi tried to assure her.

"Because we will take care of them today." Tristen said, exchanging a look with Joey and Duke.

"I think we should deal with them one at a time. If they are together, it may be difficult to give them the treatment they deserve." Duke suggested.

"You are right Duke. We will." Joey said, rubbing Serenity's shaking shoulders to calm her.

* * *

Tea couldn't believe it. All of her friends had ignored her all day. She was so pissed at them. Many times, she thought of going to them and telling them that Serenity was lying to all of them. But she didn't. she wanted them to come to her. She wanted them to realize what they had done and apologize. She was fuming when she walked out of the school. But her expression changed when she saw her friends standing besides an alley. Joey walked towards her. She thought he was gonna say something, but he roughly grabbed her arm and dragged her into the alley with him.

Tea tried to scream as he dragged her but he placed a hand on her mouth, preventing her from doing so. Once deep inside, he pushed her towards Yami and tristen. Duke was standing on her left. She just stared at them, not sure what they were gonna do.

"What do you want? Haven't you done enough already?" Tea sked them, eyes fixed on Yami. Just looking at him reminded her of the slap she received from him and her blood boiled in rage.

"Apparently, we haven't. You threatened Serenity so we are gonna make sure you never threaten her or anyone else again." Joey said.

"We are gonna teach you a lesson." Duke said, and before she could react, Tristen punched her in the stomach. She grabbed her stomach and fell on the ground. A scream escaped from her lips. But they weren't done yet. Joey pulled her hair, bringing her head back and slapped her. With every slap, Tea screamed louder, begging them to stop. But they didn't. They continued beating her. She was too weak to defend herself against all of them. All she could do was hope that someone would hear her screams and save her.

* * *

Seto kaiba was sitting in his limo, working on his laptop. Mokuba was staring out of the open window when he heard screams. He quickly told Seto to listen but the limo had already passed the location. Seto went back to his work, telling Mokuba he must have imagined it but the kid was insistent. Sighing, Seto told the driver to go back, and as they neared a small alley, Seto also heard muffled screams and realized that mokuba wasn't imagining stuff.

"Seto, it's a girl. We have to help her." Mokuba said insistently. Seto, however, was still listening. After a few seconds, he again turned to his laptop.

"I know who the girl is Mokuba. It's Gardner." Seto replied.

"Then we absolutely have to help her." Mokuba said worriedly, imagining her to be in trouble.

"She has the geek squad to protect her Mokuba. They follow her like flies follow sweets. And besides, I don't think she is in any trouble." Seto said.

'Yugi is probably fucking her brains out so she is screaming in pleasure. Maybe, that dog is there too.' Seto thought with disgust. He had heard male voice straining as well, and could only imagine what must be going on.

"Seto, I heard her say help when we passed here earlier. Please Seto, go and at least see if she is okay." Mokuba begged. Seto sighed and got out of the limo.

'Mokuba, you better hope she is not naked, fucking those geeks, or I will cut your allowance in half. That is, if I survive such a horrible sight.' Seto thought.

As he neared her, he noticed that the screams were from extreme pain and not pleasure. Now he started running, thinking that she may really be in trouble. He heard her scream louder then ever before and then, silence occupied the air.

'Am I too late?' He stared running and reached the end of the alley, where he figured the screams were coming from. What he saw horrified him. Tristen and Duke were holding the arms of a limp body; Tea's body. Her uniform was ripped in many places and covered in blood. There was blood on her arms, legs and face. Even her hair were dripping with blood.

He thought she was dead because she wasn't moving at all. She was sitting on her knees, but only because Tristen and Duke were holding her arms or she would be on the ground. He saw her spit some blood as Joey punched her in the gut again, indicating that she was still alive. But for how long? It seemed that her "friends" either didn't notice that or didn't care. Yugi, or his spirit, kept slapping her. He had to do something and now. What was going on? The situation was too bizzare for Seto to comprehend. It seemed like he was in some alternate universe. But he didn't have time to dwell on the absurdity of the situation.

"What the hell are you doing? Leave her." Seto said, approaching them.

"Oh look, it's… her little… boyfriend." Joey said. He was out of breath, probably from beating her, Seto concluded.

"Boyfriend?" seto was confused but it was no time to figure out what went on in Wheelers pea-sized brain. So he continued. "Are you all insane? Why are you beating her?"

"Because a bitch like her deserves to be beaten." Tristen said.

"She deserves this." Duke spoke.

"That's enough. I'll ask you one last time to let her go. She is badly hurt and needs to go to a hospital." Seto said with an expressionless face.

"What will you do if we don't do that Kaiba?" Yami asked. He pulled Tea's hair, jerking her head up. Seto saw that she was unconscious. Seeing her bloody and bruised face angered Seto to no extent. His jaw clenched as he tried to remain calm and collected. He would need his senses to deal with these animals.

"Then I will have to make you." He answered.

"So you wanna fight for your bitch. Fine with us. Bring it one rich boy." Joey said.

Seto didn't really understand what Joey meant but he knew what he had to do. He attacked Joey. Joey, expecting a blow at his face, ducked but Seto was one step ahead of him. Instead of punching Joey in the face, he thrust his knee in his gut, knocking him over, while his extended fist connected with Tristen's face. Tristen immediately let go of Tea and grabbed his face. Seto then attacked Duke, elbowing him in the stomach. He proceeded towards Yami but Joey kicked him in the back. Seto turned around, eyes flaming with anger. Joey actually backed away from him, but Seto kicked him in the face, breaking his nose.

The other saw what Seto did to Joey and seemed hesitant to approach him. They grabbed a groaning Joey and quickly walked away, leaving Tea and seto. Seto quickly went to Tea, holding her limp body in his arms. He checked her pulse to see if she was still alive, and was relieved to know that she was. He picked her up and ran towards the limo. Mokuba saw them approaching and opened the door, letting them in. He screamed when he saw Tea.

"Oh my God Seto. What happened? Who did this to her?" He asked, horror evident on his face.

"Her so called friends." Seto spat with disgust.

"How could they? Seto, we have to take her to the hospital, now."

"No Mokuba. I can't take her to the hospital. This will draw too much attention and it will become a scandal before we can control it. And that's just what the press is looking for, a scandal involving me."

"Then what do you suggest we do? She can die."

"We will take her to our mansion. I will call our personal physician right now. She will get better treatment there. And it will be quiet. We don't know what happened between her and her friends, and she might not want the world to know about this." Mokuba didn't argue with that and told the driver to drive towards the mansion while Seto made the call to their doctor.

As soon as the limo stopped inside the gates of the humongous mansion, Mokuba got out and held the door open for Seto, who held Tea in his arms. They hurried into the mansion. Mokuba ran away to call a maid while seto carried Tea up stairs. He wanted to take her to a guest room, but the maids had the keys and he didn't have enough time to wait for them so he took her to his room and gently placed her on his bed. By that time, Mokuba returned with a maid. The maid carried some of mokuba's clothes in her hands.

"I asked her to change Tea's clothes and clean her up a bit. They are covered in blood and dirt." Mokuba said. Seto nodded and left the room with Mokuba.

They waited downstairs as the maid changed Tea's clothes. The doorbell rang, announcing the doctor's arrival. Mokuba ran to open the door. The kid was worried sick. It was Dr. John, their family doctor.

"What seems to be the problem Mr. Kaiba? You and Mokuba seem to be in perfect health." The doctor asked.

"it's not us. It's our friend. She is in Seto's room right now. Please, hurry up." Mokuba said. He grabbed the doctor's arm and practically dragged him upstairs. The doctor didn't protest. The maid was just coming out of the room when they entered. The doctor gasped when he saw Tea. Even though the maid had changed her clothes, the new clothes had spots of blood already.

"Oh my. This is very bad. How did this happen? Did she have an accident?" The doctor said, noticing her bruised form. Mokuba opened his mouth to say something but Seto quickly answered.

"We don't know. We found her like this." Mokuba looked at Seto in question but Seto's glare silenced him.

"Okay. She is badly injured. Broken jaw, broken arm and some broken ribs are just a few." The doctor said.

"Is she gonna be okay Dr. John?" Mokuba asked in a small voice.

"Oh yes. Don't worry about that Mokuba. I'll take good care of your friend." Dr. John assured Mokuba with a comforting smile. "Now I want you to stop worrying and go outside to play. Okay."

"But…" Mokuba started to protest. He wanted to stay with Tea but Seto's eyes told him otherwise. Sighing loudly to the let the others know he was not happy, he left nonetheless. When he left, the doctor turned to Seto.

"Can you help me with these wounds Mr. Kaiba?" The doctor asked. Seto obliged, without saying a word. First, Dr. John gently took her clothes off to reveal the wounds. That was when Seto saw the true extent of the damage her friends had done. Her whole body had bruises and purple marks. He felt blinding anger towards Yugi and the others. Many questions occupied his head. 'Why did they do this? What did she do to make them so angry? Why did Joey call her my bitch? Didn't Yugi or his stupid spirit love her? But he was beating her with them. This is so confusing.'

After cleaning her wonds and body, the doctor slowly started to wrap the bandages around her. It took a significant amount of time.

"Okay. We are done." The doctor finally said. Seto snapped out of his thoughts and stared at a body wrapped in bandages. She had bandages around her head, around her arms, around her waist and around her legs. He felt sympathy for the girl.

"Can I see you outside for a minute Mr. Kaiba?"

"Sure." They exited the room and spotted Mokuba pacing outside.

"Is she okay? Can I go in now to see her?" Mokuba asked.

"She must be really special to you Mokuba. Well, you can go in now." The doctor said kindly. Mokuba didn't even wait for a second and ran inside the room. When he was out of sight, Seto turned to the doctor.

"What is wrong with her?" He asked.

"I have taken care of her external injuries but you have to take care of the internal ones. She has been hit in the stomach many times, damaging her digestive system. She can't be allowed to move, so I have given her sleeping pills, along with some other pills. You will need to give her one in the morning and one at night, to keep her asleep for twenty-four hours until her internal injuries are sufficiently healed. Also, she can't digest any solid food. So you will have to feed her soup and other liquid foods. She will need a lot of care to heal." The doctor replied sadly.

"For how long do we need to give her the sleeping pills?" Seto questioned.

"For at least a week. By then, she will be in a better shape. She won't miss any school because spring break is starting in a few days." Seto nodded, so the doctor continued. "I will check on her every day. If there is any change in her condition in my absence, good or bad, please notify me right away. Good day Mr. Kaiba." He then left. Seto walked towards his room, ready to tell Mokuba that it was time for him to do his homework. But he stopped outside his room, surprised at what he saw.

Mokuba was sitting besides Tea, holding her pale hand. Tears were forming in his eyes, but he was being strong and refusing to let them fall. As Seto saw them, memories flashed in his mind. Gozoburo beating him and pushing him beyond his limit. Every time Gozoburo "taught" Seto personally, he was left a bloody mess at the end of the lesson. Some maid or servant would carry him into his room. A doctor would tend to his wounds and then Mokuba would sit beside him, encouraging him to not give up.

Now, as he watched them, he felt images flash before his eyes. Suddenly, Tea's face morphed into his. Instead of Tea, he stared into a younger version of him, covered in bandages, and a very young Mokuba trying to hold back his tears, whispering, "you will be okay. I will take care of you Seto. Don't worry. We will make him pay for what he has done to you, I promise." Mokuba's voice shook him out of his thoughts. Mokuba was talking to Tea now.

"You will be okay. I will take care of you Tea. We will make them pay for what they did to you, I promise." Seto couldn't take it anymore.

"Mokuba… you should go now. Do your homework." Seto said. He had to try very hard to keep his voice from shaking.

"But Seto, what about her?" Mokuba asked, looking worriedly at Tea.

"I will have a maid stay with her." Mokuba nodded., He took one last look at Tea and then left, leaving Seto and Tea alone.

Seto stared at Tea. The bandage around her head now restrained her hair that framed her beautiful face. Her eyes that shone with excitement and joy were now closed. The same eyes that that flashed in anger when he insulted her or her friends but had also shown concern for him on several occassions. Her rosy lips that were graced with the most radiant smiles were sealed tightly, threatening to never move again.

Seto sighed and sat on the bed beside her. He brushed some bangs from her forehead and whispered to her sleeping form. "Get well soon… Tea."

...

* * *

Please Review and let me know what you think.


	3. chap 3

Disclaimer: "I do not own yugioh."

"Talk"

'Thoughts'

* * *

...

"Seto, you have to come and help me." Mokuba whined. Seto looked up from his laptop.

"Why do I have to come Mokuba? Can't a maid help you?" He had a lot of work to do and wanted to finish it before night.

"Most of them are gone for the break and the rest are busy doing other things. Seto, please." Mokuba begged.

"Okay Mokuba. Let's go." He sighed and followed his brother into his room. He already knew what his brother needed help with. It was time to feed Tea. He chuckled at the thought. Feed her, as if she was a baby. But since she was incapable of doing it, it had to be done. She had been in his bedroom ever since he brought her in. He had been busy finishing his work so never had a chance to go to his room. Most of the time, he would sleep in his office. But he knew if he wanted to, he could have had her moved. The truth was, he didn't want to cause her any more pain or discomfort. He was afraid that moving her might cause her internal injuries to worsen. So he had left her the way she was since she was brought in. Only recently, after getting permission from Dr. John, had they started moving her body around a bit. Mokuba and the maids dealt with her most of the time. Seto only went in when he needed something. He knew he was avoiding her, but he couldn't stand to see her in such a state without feeling angry.

Tea was laying on his king size bed, eyes closed, but looking better then the last time ha had seen her. The bandages on her head, legs and arms had recently been removed. There was still a bandage around her waist though. Some of the bruises had also healed, leaving no marks on her beautiful skin. Mokuba sat on the bed beside her and motioned for Seto to do the same.

"Okay. So you set her in a sitting position while I put the food in her mouth." Mokuba said and grabbed the bowl of soup from the table. Seto glanced at Tea's body. Should he do what Mokuba told him to do? She might not want him to touch her. But then again, she was sleeping so she would never know. He grabbed her by the shoulders and lifted her in a sitting position but her head rolled to the side.

"Seto, hold her head so I can put the food in." Mokuba said. Seto moved one hand to hold her head in place but now her body started to slide to a side. Seto growled in frustration. How did Mokuba and the maids usually do this? There must be more than one maid to keep Tea's body upright, and her head still. This was not a one-person job.

"This is not working Mokuba."

"I know what will work. Just do as I say." Mokuba told Seto, eyes glistening with mischief. Seto didn't like the look but decided to do it anyway. Mokuba gently pulled Tea towards him so that her limp body was now resting on his small one.

"Now sit beside her." Mokuba told Seto who did as was told. "Cross your legs and lean back." Seto seemed confused but didn't say anything. "Now, put your hands on tea's waist." That was it. Seto decided to speak.

"What are you trying to do?" Mokuba only smiled.

"Don't worry Seto. She is asleep so she can't be mad at you or hurt you for touching her." Seto frowned at a laughing Mokuba. "Come on. Grab her waist and pull her into your lap."

"I am not doing that." Seto refused. "There must be some other way." He knew Mokuba was doing this on purpose to torture him. He wondered if it was because he had been ignoring Tea, and Mokuba wanted him to punish him for it.

"If you know one, then tell me." Mokuba said arrogantly, much like Seto himself. "Infact, I'll give you some time. I have to go to my friends' house for an hour, so I'll see you later. You better have figured out a way to feed her by then. And since you are a genius, I have full faith that you would have." He thrust the bowl into Seto's hands and pushed tea's body back at him. He jumped off the bed and ran towards the door before Seto could complain.

"Her medicine is on your left. See you later." Mokuba left, leaving a very angry Seto behind.

'That twerp. I'll cut his allowance in half for this.' He thought. 'But I'll do that later. Right now, I have to solve this problem so I can get back to work.' He tried everything he could think of but nothing seemed to work. Many of the ideas would have worked if Mokuba had been there but not with one person. After half hour of trying, he gave up.

'I guess I have no other option but to follow Mokuba's plan.' He thought sourly. Very carefully, he lifted Tea off the bed and placed her gently in his lap. As soon as her soft body touched his, he felt himself relaxing, which was the opposite of what he was expecting. Her body fit in his lap perfectly, as if she was made for this. Her petite frame was so small compared to his large one.

'I have to snap out of this.' He shook his head to get the thoughts out. Then he leaned back against the headboard and pulled Tea with him so that her back rested against his chest. Again, he felt at ease. He pushed the feeling aside and grabbed the bowl. He rested her body between his arms so it wouldn't fall to a side.

He lifted the spoon to her mouth but her head rolled to a side. Damn it. How could he have forgotten that? He used one hand to hold her chin and thrust the spoon in her mouth wit the other hand. He then lifted her chin so the food can travel down her throat. He continued feeding her for a while. After all the soup was finished, he took a deep breath and placed the bowl aside. He extended his arm to grab the medicine but stopped when he felt her lips on his neck, her breath tickling his skin.

'What the hell?' He slowly turned his head to see her eyes still closed. She wasn't kissing him. She was still asleep. When he turned to grab the medicine, he had left her head and it rolled towards his neck. He gasped when he felt her take in a deep breath. Her soft lips were so warm, just like her body. He put the pill in her mouth and stimulated swallowing, but didn't move her head away from his neck. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her, bringing her even closer, and closed his eyes. He pushed all emerging thought out and just focused on the relaxing feeling he was experiencing.

* * *

Mokuba's feet creaked lightly on the carpet as he tip-toed towards Seto's room. He had just returned from his friend's house. He had checked the living room and Seto's office but couldn't find him. There was only one place left; his bedroom. He opened the door and smiled at what he saw. Tea was asleep in Seto's lap, her head resting on his shoulder. While his chin was resting on top of her head, his arms wrapped around her waist, in a protective manner. Mokuba crept back to his room and grabbed a camera. He just had to take a picture of them like this and show it to them when they would fight. The camera flashed, indicating that the moment had been captured. He smiled and walked downstairs. He sure as hell hadn't been expecting that. He had just wanted Seto to interact with Tea, hoping that it would reduce the discomfort Seto felt around her. But his plan had generated unexpected results. He knew of Seto's protective nature, and wondered if Tea was now included in the elite club of individuals Seto gave a damn about. He hoped it was so. He really liked Tea and knew it would be great if Seto and Tea could get along.

* * *

Seto opened his eyes and felt a weight on his legs. It smelled good and was soft. The top was made of silky threads, almost like hair. It also seemed to be breathing, like a human. Suddenly his eyes snapped open.

Tea.

How could he sleep in that position? Did anyone see him like this? Shit. Shit. He started to get up but Tea's body got in the way. He gently placed her on the bad and got out of the bed, ready to leave. He didn't know what made him turn around and stare at her again. He felt like he was leaving something behind. 'No time for these ridiculous thoughts. I've got to get the work done.'

* * *

Seto sighed and put his laptop aside. Two hours and he hadn't gotten much work done. What was wrong with him? Why couldn't he work like he did before? Was he distracted? Why would he be? What could distract him from his work? Work to him was like alcohol to an alcoholic. It wasn't enough until he was knocked out. But he didn't feel like taking in the normal doze.

'Why am I feeling like something is missing? What is it? I have everything I need. Mokuba is downstairs playing so I am not worried about him. The company is doing better then ever. Then what is it?' He didn't feel like this yesterday. Something must have happened today to make him feel like this.

He yawned, tired of the day's work. 'I'll finish this later. Right now, I need some sleep.' He walked towards his room and spotted Tea on his bed, sleeping soundly. One look at her brought the memory of earlier today and a smile to his tired face. He changed into his pajamas and got in bed besides her. The feeling of completeness came over him again. Now he realized what he had missed all day. Her. Her very presence brought peace to his mind. Her scent calmed his nerves, and her radiating innocence brought a smile to his face. How could she have such an effect on him in just one hour?

Her frame stirred beside him, causing him to look. She was trembling, her hands gripping the sheets in a death grip. Her head was tossing from side to side, eyes tightly shut. She was having a nightmare. Her moans worried him. What should he do? He could wake her up but she wasn't healed yet and would feel the pain of her injuries. Beads of sweat rolled down her forehead. He had to do something and fast.

(Flashback)

A seven-year-old Seto was talking to his father.

"I don't think Mokuba likes me dad." He sadly told his dad, who raised his head from his book to stare at the boy.

"Nonsense Seto. He loves you." Mokuba was a few months old. How could he hate him?

"Because every time I touch him, he starts crying. He hates me." His father put a hand on his shoulder.

"Let's find out." He led Seto to Mokuba's room, where he slept in his crib.

"Ok Seto. Put a hand on his shoulder." His father pointed to Mokuba.

"He will wake up and start crying dad." Seto replied, worried and sad.

"Just do it. You will be surprised at what you see." Seto shrugged and gently put a hand on Mokuba's shoulder. Mokuba stirred a bit but soon relaxed. He even snuggled into his touch. A smiled appeared on Seto's face.

"Dad, look. He is not crying. He is smiling in his sleep." He bounced in excitement and joy. His dad smiled at him.

"Listen Seto. Your brother loves you. The reason for the smile on his face was your touch. He trusts you. So you must never let him down. You must never hurt anyone who trusts you. This thing called trust is a very complicated thing. It's so easy to break but so hard to gain. You have gained Mokuba's trust, so you must never break it." Seto nodded at his father wise words.

(End flashback)

During their time in the orphanage, often times Mokuba had come to sleep with Seto because he was scared. Every time when he had a nightmare, seto placed his arms around him to comfort him. That always calmed Mokuba down. But that was a long time ago. Long, long time ago. Now it seemed like he might have to do it again. Hesitantly, he placed his arm around her shoulders and waited for a response. He was surprised to find her trembling come to a halt. His eyes widened even more when she snuggled into his touch, just like Mokuba had done. Funny. He thought she never trusted him, but she did afterall.

He moved his arm from her shoulders, to her waist. She whimpered at the loss of touch but calmed when he brought her body closer to his. A smile blessed her lips, bringing a smile to seto's face as well.

'I still can't believe you trust me Gardner.' He thought. 'Even after all I have done to you. I can't believe you trust anyone after what your most trusted friends did to you. But I'm not like them. I'll never hurt you or let anyone else hurt you, I promise. I won't lose your trust, not at any cost.'

...

* * *

Thanks for reading.

Please review.


	4. chap 4

Disclaimer: "I do not own yugioh."

"Talk"

'Thoughts'

* * *

...

Tea slowly opened her eyes and curiously glanced around.

'Where am I?' She wondered. The place was unfamiliar to her. It was a grand room with a blue theme. She was lying down on a king size bed, covered in blue sheets. She removed some of it and gasped realizing that her clothes had been changed.

'What is this? Where am I? Whose room is this?' She began panicking. The sound of running water stopped and not long after, a door opened, revealing a handsome man clad only in a towel. She gasped recognizing his face.

"Kaiba." That was all she could say because she was too shocked. He sharply turned to stare at her.

"You're awake?" His eyes widened. He was equally surprised.

It had been a week since he had brought her to his mansion and into his room. He had taken care of her since the day Mokuba had tricked him into it, feeding her and making sure she was in a comfortable position besides other things. Every day, he would come early from work and spend his time with her. He just sat beside her and worked, occassionally watching her. He had regularly checked her wounds to see if she was healing. Every time, her creamy skin without any scar would entrance him. It seemed that God was bent on keeping his creation as perfect as it had been before this whole ordeal. He often wraped his arms around her waist, holding her close and kissing her forehead to make sure she wouldn't have any nightmares. He wanted her to be awake, to see her smile, and to hear her laugh. But secretly, he wished he could give her sleeping pills for longer than a week so he could watch her and be with her. He knew if she woke up, he would never get as close to her as he could during her sleep.

"Is this your… mansion?" She hesitated saying that she knew was in his room.

"Yes, and this is my room." Surely, he didn't feel awkward about the situation.

"How did I get here? Last I remember, I was in the alley with..." She couldn't finish. Her throat choked up and her eyes spilled tears. His heart lurched at the sight.

"I brought you here. Mokuba heard your screams and I went to investigate. I found your friends beating you. I didn't know why. You were defenseless so I took you from them. You were badly hurt so I brought you here."

"You saved me and… then took care of me when I was unconscious." Tears started falling from her eyes again. "You helped me, and those who I always trusted treated me so badly." She covered her face and cried. Seto quickly strode and sat beside her. He wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders and massaged her back. She fell into his arms and sobbed. He just held her close, trying to absorb the pain from her.

"Shh. Don't cry. It's over. They can't hurt you any more. You're safe here." He whispered comfortingly to her. After a while, she stopped crying. But she didn't let him go. She rested her head on his chest and let his heartbeat calm her down. She liked the feel of her skin against his. That's when she realized what she was doing. She was hugging Seto Kaiba who was only wearing a towel. She moved back and blushed crimson red.

"I'm… I'm sorry." She said turning her head away from his bare chest. He noticed her blush and realized that he was nearly naked. He blushed himself.

"I'll go downstairs and… see Mokuba. I should thank him." She said and tried to get up but stumbled back into his arms.

"What happened?" He asked, concern evident in his voice.

"I don't know. I tried to stand but it feels like I don't have any energy at all." He could see the panic on her face.

"Does it hurt?"

"No. I'm fine. Just surprised and worried. Why did it happen? I look fine and feel fine too." She asked him, trying to get out of his arms.

"You have been asleep for a week. Your muscles aren't used to work. It will take some time to adjust to movement." He calmly explained.

"So how am I supposed to get around?" she couldn't stay in bed all day.

"You don't have to worry about that. Your legs will adjust to movement soon. For the time being, I'll help you. Just… just let me… wear something." Tea blushed red and moved out of his arms. He held her around the waist and placed her on the bed beside him. Then he got up and walked into his giant closet. Tea waited for him to come out and when he did, he was wearing blue jeans and a white shirt. He looked vary casual, like a normal teenager.

"Well, are you ready?" He asked, standing in front of her.

"Yes. But I still don't know how am I going to go downstairs." He answered her question by scooping her in his arms, bridal style. She gasped but his strong hold told her she was safe, so she relaxed.

He walked out of the room and carried her down the stairs. Tea wrapped her arms around his neck for support and rested her head on his chest. She inhaled the scent of his cologne. He smelled nice, maybe because he just took a shower. His neck was still wet with the drops of water dripping from his damp hair. She felt strange being so close to him. He was supposed to be the enemy; someone she was supposed to dislike. This didn't seem right. But lately, many wrong things, many weird things had happened. Her most trusted friends had hurt her. They broke her and killed her spirit. Seto had resurrected her body and she felt her spirit being resurrected as well.

"Hey Tea. You're awake and okay. I'm so happy." Mokuba's head appeared in her view soon after his voice. He was bouncing happily, not being able to control his excitement.

"Hey Mokuba. Thank you so much for taking care of me." She gratefully smiled at the kid.

"Oh I didn't do much. It was Seto. He was the one who fed you and took care of you. That's why we didn't change your room, so you could be near him." Mokuba replied, causing Tea to stare at Seto in disbelief. He turned his head away, pretending to look at something else.

"Mokuba," he said, "grab those cushions and put them on the couch." Mokuba did as was asked. "Okay. Now go get something for her to eat." Mokuba nodded and left. Seto gently lowered Tea on the couch and carefully placed her on the comfy cushions. He adjusted them around her frame and then stood straight. That's when he noticed Tea lowering her head. He sat down beside her and held her face to take a better look. It was as he had predicted. She was crying.

"Did I do something wrong?" He asked. She wasn't crying because of Mokuba. Maybe she was thinking he did something to her during her sleep.

"No, you didn't. You have been doing everything right." She said, trying to keep her voice from shaking.

"Then why are you crying?" It didn't make any sense.

"You… you have been so nice to me during my unconsciousness, taking care of me when you didn't have to. And even now, you treat me like a crystal doll, treating me with such care. I... I have never been treated that way before." She admitted and smiled at him, though her eyes still shone with tears.

"Fragile things are to be treated with care." He replied with a rare smile.

"I just never thought... I never expected it from you. I always expected this from…" She couldn't finish as tears began to form in her eyes again, but she wiped them before they could escaped her eyes.

"It's always the person you least expect." He said gazing into her eyes.

"Yeah." They sat there, gazing into each other's eyes, not daring to blink.

"Hey, I told the maid to make something for you Tea." Mokuba's voice shook them out of their state.

"Oh… thank you Mokuba." she said, disappointed a little since Seto had stood up, ready to leave.

"I'll… I'll see you later then." He quickly said and turned around towards his office. Tea watched him leave sadly, but Mokuba's cheerful voice caught her attention.

"We were so worried about you Tea." He said.

"We?" She inquired.

"Yeah, me and Seto. He was worried too. He would check your wounds and take your temperature regularly, even though the doctor said to do it every other day."

"Really." She raised her eyebrows in disbelief.

"Yeah. But it's all good now. You're better and you can play with me now. I got this cool game that I wanted to try out and…" He continued talking to her and she smiled at his excitement.

* * *

Seto was working in his office; at least he was trying to work. He couldn't get his mind off a certain someone. The feel of her in his arms was fresh in his mind. Her radiant smile was evident in his memory, and made it hard for him to think of something else. She had occupied his thoughts and was slowly occupying his life. He sighed as he turned the laptop off. He needed to do something to get his mind off her. Suddenly the door opened and Mokuba's nervous face appeared.

"Umm Seto, I need your help"

"What is the problem Mokuba?"

"It's Tea."

* * *

"I said NO. I am not going to eat that." Tea said, stubbornly crossing her arms over her chest and pouting like a small child. Seto sighed. He got down as soon as he could, thinking Tea was hurt. But the problem wasn't her. It was the chicken soup she was supposed to eat.

"Don't be stubborn. This is good for you." He tried to reason with her.

"But it tastes yucky." He raised an eyebrow. Yucky? Was that even a word? Well, it suited her since she was acting like a child.

"The doctor recommended this for you." He told her.

"But I don't need it anymore. I'm healthy now. Let me eat real food." She said, and he wanted to point out the fact that her 'healthy' body couldn't even walk.

"No, you'll eat this until you're strong enough to move." He said plainly, ending the discussion.

"No. I'm not eating this." Mokuba sighed. He would have to step in and solve this problem. Both were as stubborn as they came.

"How about we make a deal Tea. If you eat this, then you can… call Seto by his first name." He suggested.

"What?" They both spoke in unison.

"Yeah. If she eats this, you'll let her call you 'Seto' instead of Kaiba. Do you agree?" He asked his brother, who nodded after a small pause. He then turned to Tea who nodded as well.

"Okay then. Sorry for bothering you Seto. You can go back to your office now if you want." Mokuba said. Seto stood there for a while, as if making a decision. Then he turned around and walked back towards his office.

* * *

Knock, knock.

Seto stared at the door.

'Who could that be?' He wondered. It couldn't be Mokuba because he would enter after a knock. Then it must be Tea. He quickly shot out of his seat and opened the door. Just as he expected, Tea was there, leaning against the wall for support.

"What are you doing?" He asked as he grabbed her by the waist and brought her into his office.

"I wanted to tell you something. I finished the soup. So…" She looked away, blushing. But Seto knew what she was asking.

"I'm a man of my word. You can call me 'Seto' from now on if you want." Her face brightened.

"Seto." She said his name and giggled. He frowned.

"What's so funny?" He asked. He didn't like being laughed at.

"Nothing. Your name, it just sounds weird coming out of my mouth, doesn't it?" He frowned.

"No." She giggled even more. That was it. "Stop it Tea." She did, immediately, but not because he told her to, but because he had called her by her first name.

"Did you just call me 'Tea'." She asked, eyes slightly wide with surprise. He smirked.

"Did that sound weird coming from me?" He asked. She smiled and shook her head.

"No, it actually sounded nice." He smiled back.

"So, is that all you wanted to tell me?" He inquired, hoping there was something else. He didn't want her to leave just yet.

"Actually, Mokuba and I were wondering if we could have pizza for dinner." Seto frowned. He didn't like junk food much.

"No. The maids will have the dinner ready soon. Besides, you can't eat it. You still have to eat the foods specified by the doctor."

"Oh please." She said. Her eyes became big and shinny. Her lower lip started trembling and was set in a pouting position. Seto recognized that. It was 'the face'.

"Where did you learn this from? Mokuba?" Mokuba always made that face when he wanted something.

"Yes. He told me this always works. You're a sucker for 'the face'." She smiled at him. "So, can we, please." He sighed. He couldn't resist such a pretty face.

"Fine. Go ahead." He sighed, defeated. She smiled triumphantly.

"I guess it does work. Tell me, how do I look when I make 'the face'." She made the same face again. Seto smiled at her. He reached out and held her chin in his fingers, to take a better look. He brought her face closer to his, as if inspecting it.

"Hmm, you look cuter then before." He said and pulled back. She blushed at his comment.

'He thinks I look cuter. Then he thinks I look cute.' She thought, feeling like a giddy school girl.

"I think you should stay here. I am almost finished so I'll take you downstairs with me." He said. Tea nodded, happy at a chance to be in his arms again. She waited for him to finish his work. He was done sooner then she thought.

"Okay, let's go." He said as he picked her up in his arms again. They ate pizza, even Seto, who complained with every bite. Tea got to eat just a little bit as well. They chatted after dinner, debating on a movie to watch, and ended up picking Mokuba's choice. After an hour and a half, Seto declared it was time to go to sleep. Tea said good night to Mokuba and Seto picked her up again. He took her to his room.

"Do you have a balcony?" She asked him. He nodded and took her there. He placed her on the floor and stood beside her, close enough to hold her in case she fainted or stumbled. They gazed at the star filled sky.

"Thanks." She said, still looking at the sky. He turned to stare at her. "For everything. You have done so much for me. I owe you my life."

"Hmm." He mumbled.

"Why did you do it?" She suddenly asked, making him turn his head slightly to stare at her.

"Because I didn't want you to go through that alone." He admitted after a pregnant pause. "I have been in the same situation before. My stepfather beat me to toughen me up. Every night, I would be in the same situation, bruised and bloody. So I knew how you felt. I had no one to help me so I turned cold. But you… you don't deserve to be alone and full of hate like me."

"I thought I wasn't going to make it." She admitted in a small voice. "I was so scared. But I did make it because of you. I thought I couldn't trust anyone ever again after what happened. But I do. I don't know how or why but I trust you. I did the moment I woke up. It's like I trusted you even when I was unconscious." She turned to stare into his eyes. "I trust you Seto. Can I?" Her eyes were full of hope tinted with fear. He knew he couldn't say no even if he wanted to.

"Of course you can. You always did what your heart told you to do. I trust you to do it now as well." He replied.

"My mind tells me to trust you Seto, but my heart… it's still scared. I don't know what to do." Seto put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Do what you think is right." She stared at him with her beautiful eyes and wrapped her arms around his waist in a hug.

"I trust you. I trust you with my life. I know I can count on you to be there for me. Please don't be like them. I don't want to be hurt again." He felt her tears on his shirt, and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer to him. He kissed the top of her head and said.

"I won't ever hurt you Tea. I know how you feel. I'm not like them. I never was and never will stoop as low as to be like them. I'll always be there for you when you need me." He told her.

'I won't leave you Tea.' He silently added to himself. 'I can't even if I want to.'

...

* * *

Thank you for reading. Please don't forget to REVIEW.


	5. chap 5

Disclaimer: "I do not own yugioh"

"Talk"

'Thoughts'

* * *

...

Tea slowly opened her eyes and realized that the spot beside her on the bed was empty. She sat up and looked around the room. Seto was nowhere to be seen.

'Where is he?' She suddenly panicked, not finding him. 'Is he at his office?'

"Seto." sShe said in a little voice. The bathroom door opened and the sound of a running tap came, along with Seto's.

"I'm in here." She got up and peeked into the washroom. She found him shaving, with white cream all over his face. She smiled slightly at the sight.

"Good morning." She said. He smiled back. "I'll go downstairs and see if breakfast is ready and if Mokuba's awake." He nodded and she left. Seto finished shaving and took a shower. After that, he wore a plain shirt and jeans, and continued towards the living room to see what Mokuba and Tea were up to.

Halfway down the stairs, he could hear their voices, talking loudly, yelling, and screaming, like 3 year olds. He found them in the kitchen, each holding something different for breakfast.

"What is happening here?" He asked sternly, making them turn around and stare into his intense eyes.

"We were deciding what to eat for breakfast." Mokuba replied innocently, as if yelling in the morning was the norm.

"Then why are you yelling like you're on fire?" Seto said eying them. Mokuba frowned but Tea giggled.

"We're not yelling. " Mokuba said defensively and Seto rolled his eyes.

"You are acting like children, both of you. In fact, I think children would be a bit more mature then you." He said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Hey Seto, you decide. Are waffles better then pancakes?" Tea asked him. He gulped. This wasn't an easy decision considering that Mokuba was holding waffles and Tea was holding pancakes. Who should he support? On one side was his brother and on the other side was the girl he secretly liked.

"Umm… I think we should eat cereal today." He finally managed.

"What?" Mokuba said? "Come on seto. Can't you take my side on this one?" He whined and Seto sighed again. Mokuba's face told him he better say something and soon.

"You know what, let's have waffles today. We can have pancakes some other day." Tea spoke, sensing Seto's dilemma. He shot her a thankful smile. She smiled back at him, her heart fluttering at the sight. They gazed into each other's eyes, silent messages of gratitude being delivered.

"Cool." Mokuba said, oblivious of the situation. The three sat down and ate breakfast.

* * *

Tea entered Seto's office with a cup in her hand. She found him working intently on his laptop.

"Hey." She said. "I brought you coffee." He merely nodded. She placed the coffee on his table and took a step back. He still didn't look up and continued to work. She had to get his attention let him know she was still in the room so she coughed slightly. He suddenly looked up and found her smiling meekly. He was so engrossed in work that he thought she had already left after placing his coffee before him.

"Is something wrong?" He asked her.

"No, no. Nothing is wrong. I…" She wasn't sure if she should say it, and if so, how should she say it.

"Go on. What is it you want?" All of his attention was on her now, making her blush.

"Umm, I was wondering if you could… if I could…" His eyes were making her nervous. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and quickly said. "Could you teach me how to fight?" She expected him to laugh at her but upon hearing nothing, she opened one eye, expecting to stare into his smirking face. But was disappointed again. His face was expressionless, making it impossible for her to interpret his thoughts.

"Why do you want learn how to fight?" He asked.

"I don't want what happened before to happen again. I don't want to be caught off guard. I want to be ready to defend myself incase they…. incase anyone tries to hurt me. Since you beat all of them on your own, I thought you could teach me too. I can't expect you to save me forever." He closed his eyes at that and took a deep breath. This was not completely unexpected. She had always been independant and strong, and wanted to be able to defend herself. But he wondered if she had become afraid or weary of others, more specifically, or her former friends. Was she so afraid of them that she wanted to have some sort of defence prepared to ease her mind? He wondered what had happened between them? Since her recovery, he hadn't asked her about the incident, or even mentioned her friends. He didn't want her to be emotionally hurt. But he was curious to know how the impossible had happened and she had ended up with him.

"So, can you please? I'll be really good and attentive, and won't say a single word during all of the lessons. Plus, I won't complain if the lessons get tough." She looked at him with those bright eyes shinning with hope. This would be hard.

"No." He finally answered. Her face fell, making his heart stop for a second.

"But why?" She asked him after a small pause.

"Because you're too weak. You have barely recovered from your injuries. Training would be very intense for your body. It might cause your healing injuries to worsen, or even cause you more problems." He explained. He did fear for her health. Having experienced many injuries in his past, he knew that just because it appeared that the body was healed on the outside didn't mean it was healed on the inside.

"But I'm strong now. I can walk. I can run. I was wrestling with Mokuba for the video game yesterday, and I won. I'm pretty strong." She said.

"Not strong enough." He said plainly, ending any further discussion. She lowered her head and started towards the door. His heart fluttered at the sight of her sad face.

"Wait." He said. "If you can prove to me that you are ready for it, then I'll train you." She swiftly turned around and smiled brightly at him.

"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you. I can show it to you right now but you're working. So I'll show you tomorrow. I have been working out lately." She said proudly.

"Not tomorrow either. I am leaving for New York tomorrow." He informed her.

"You're… leaving." She appeared shocked. Fear and disappointment were evident in her voice. "But why?" Now she sounded desperate.

"I have some important business matters to attend to and some meetings." He had been planning to tell her and Mokuba earlier, but it had slipped his mind. Mokuba was used to getting last minute updates on his brother's departures so Seto was never very careful about giving days notice. He had forgotten about Tea's reaction to this news.

"When will you be back?" She asked him.

"It will take about 3 days." He could feel guilt seeping into his mind and he couldn't understand why.

"3 days. Can't you…. come sooner?" Her eyes studied the floor while a blush caressed her features.

"I'll try." He said honestly. She looked up to stare into his eyes for a moment and then retreated towards the door.

"Okay. I'll leave now, so you can get your work done." She didn't wait for him to respond and left quickly. He could hear her run down the stairs. He sighed and leaned back in his chair. He hadn't anticipated that Tea would get attached to his presence in such a short amount of time. But then again, she had been in a very vulnerable state, and he had offered her comfort and security. Now she was somewhat dependant on him. To be completely honest, he had grown attached to her too and didn't want to leave, but his presence in New York was needed. He couldn't send someone else in his place. He had to go. He let out another tired sigh and continued working on his project.

* * *

Tea woke up at the sound of the alarm, and felt Seto get up from beside her. She slowly opened one eye to peek at him. He stretched and walked into the bathroom. After taking a shower, he came out, dressed in a grey suit, ready to leave. He grabbed his briefcase and walked out of the room. She knew he wasn't going to leave without saying good bye to her and Mokuba. That was why she wanted to stay in bed for a while longer so he would have to stay as well. But she realized how selfish she was to do that. Reluctantly she got out of the bed.

Seto was drinking coffee when Tea came downstairs. She was still wearing her baby blue pajamas. She smiled a forceful smile and sat across from him, but didn't say anything. Soon, Mokuba came jumping as well. He sat beside him and started chatting about his trip, telling him about the things he would like Seto to bring for him. Clearly, he wasn't concerned about his brother's departure. Tea kept quiet, not looking up. Seto knew she was upset, maybe scared. Him being away from her worried her. But he had to do it. He had been delaying this meeting for a while and now the CEO's were getting upset at his excuses.

'She will be fine.' He told himself.

He finished his coffee and got up. Still, Tea didn't look up. Was she angry with him? Mokuba smiled and hugged his big brother and went upstairs to his room again. Seto sent one last glance at Tea and started walking towards the door.

"Seto." She called from behind him, causing him to stop and turn to stare at her. Her eyes were sad, with a hint of fear. "Can't you come soon?" She asked him again.

"I'll try my best." This was followed by silence. "Don't worry. Mokuba is still here to keep you company." He tried to assure her.

She nodded and walked towards him. When she was a couple of inches away from him, she stopped and gazed into his eyes, as if searching for something. Before he knew it, she was hugging him as if he was leaving forever. She never gave him a chance to think or hug her back, as she dashed out of the room, and up the stairs. He heard the door shut, indicating that she was inside his room. He just stood there like a statue, not knowing what to do. A part of him wanted to go out and try to forget what just happened, but the other part of him wanted to see if she was okay. He knew she was probably crying. The voice of the driver shook him out of his thoughts and he stepped out of the mansion.

* * *

Seto quietly opened the door and entered his mansion. He placed his briefcase on the couch and sneaked like a thief towards his room. The reason? It was 3:00am. Everyone was probably sleeping and he didn't want to wake them up. He had managed to finish his work sooner and was back, just as she wanted him to. He left on Tuesday and called up the executives as soon as he could. Of course, he had to use his power and his status for that. But he did. He worked like a dog and worked them like dogs too, trying to finish it in one day. He wanted to come back the very same day, but the people were too tired to continue on the same day. No matter. He managed to finish everything in two days.

As soon as he was done, he called up his pilot to prepare for flight. The pilot, who had been woken from a deep slumber, was worried about flying so late at night while he was so sleepy and disoriented. But one glare form seto and of course, some threats convinced him. And there he was, back in Domino, back where he longed to be. He checked on Mokuba first, and was relieved to see his little brother sound asleep. He then entered his own room. He crept into his room and found Tea lying on the bed. He smiled and took his coat off. He quickly discarded his pants and decided to sleep in boxers tonight. The sound of his belt buckle hitting a chair made Tea turn and stare at him.

"You're not asleep?" He asked her, completely surprised. He had been very quiet and couldn't have woken her up.

"Yeah." She said sleepily, smiling. "Did you just come back?"

"Yeah. I finished early and decided to come early." He said as he opened the buttons of his shirt and tossed it aside. He grabbed a T-shirt and threw it over him.

"I waited till 1:00am. Then a maid told me to go to sleep. She said you weren't coming today. But I couldn't sleep." He smiled and climbed in the bed beside her.

"You haven't gotten much sleep have you?" He asked worriedly, studying her face. There were black lines under her eyes from lack of sleep. She smiled and closed her eyes.

"I couldn't fall asleep. I tried, I really did. But it was like something was keeping me from it." He smiled as she snuggled into his chest and wrapped an arm around her waist, bringing her close to him.

"Well…. I'm here now. Maybe I can help you fall asleep." He whispered in her ear mischievously. He waited fro a response but got none. He raised an eyebrow and glanced at her face. He found her sound asleep, a content smile on her face. This brought a smile to his face as well. She couldn't fall asleep without him. All she needed was him. His very presence gave her a sense of protection.

He tightened his hold on her and closed his eyes. He could feel his heart beating in rhythm with her breath. He sighed in content. Nothing could be better then this. He couldn't understand how her friends could hurt someone like her, especially Yami. The very thought of that man brought anger to Seto. He acted so high and so noble, but on the inside, he was an animal, a bastard, and a heartless monster. He had Tea's trust and her love but he blew it. But Seto wasn't going to do the same. He would care for her and treasure her. Unlike them, he would never hurt her. He would never lose her.

He gently kissed her shoulder and let sleep spread it's wings upon him.

...

* * *

Thank you for reading. Please REVIEW.


	6. chap 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh, or the song used in this chapter. The song is Numb by Linkin Park.

"Talk"

'Thoughts'

* * *

...

"Mokuba, have you seen Tea?" Seto asked his brother who was busy playing a video game.

"Yeah. She is in the gym." Mokuba replied, not looking away from the TV screen. Seto sighed and went to look for her.

He had just returned from work and expected to find her greeting him. He was looking forward to spending time with her. But she was nowhere to be seen. As he neared the gym, he could hear loud music. She must be dancing in there. It was her passion after all.

I've become so numb I can't feel you there  
I've become so tired so much more aware  
I'm becoming this all I want to do  
Is be more like me and be less like you

I've become so numb I can't feel you there  
I'm tired of being what you want me to be  
I've become so numb I can't feel you there  
I'm tired of being what you want me to be

The lyrics of the song didn't surprise him one bit. He opened the door and saw Tea dancing, her eyes closed. He watched in amazement as she danced furiously, her every movement displaying anger. It was as if she was taking her anger out through music. But even in the absolute anger, her moves was smooth and flawless. The song ended as she finished her dance. She stood still, her arms stretched, head bowed low.

Clap, clap, clap.

The sound of clapping forced her to open her eyes and lift her head. Seto stood in the door, a smile gracing his lips. She blushed.

"That was great." He said as he walked towards her.

"Thanks." She said, breathing heavily.

"You danced with perfection, even though you had been deprived of movement for quite a while. Impressive."

"Thanks. So… am I good enough? I mean, can I train with you now?" She asked hopefully. Her eyes were shinning with excitement and hope and Seto couldn't refuse.

"Sure. I believe we can try."

"Yes. Thank you so much. You won't regret this." She jumped in excitement.

"We won't have much trouble since you already posses the strength, stamina and balance needed to learn the art of fighting. Infact, if you become creative, you can turn you dance moves into fighting."

"Really?" She said, eyes wide with surprise.

"Sure. I saw you spin on one leg just now. If you extend your other leg instead of bending it while spinning, it could be a kick. Now do it. Let me see." He told her. She did as she was told.

"Lift it up a bit. Try to kick me. Aim for my face, my jaw." He said. She hesitated for a bit. Then aimed for his face. Even though she was smaller in height, her kick, if connected, would've been able to hit him square in the face, had he not moved away.

"This isn't as hard as I thought." She said as she tried again. He smiled.

"Ok. Let's practice some more kicks and then we'll move to punches." He said.

* * *

"Hey Tea, guess what? The carnival is in town." A hyper Mokuba told Tea.

"Really. We should go then." She nodded excitedly.

"Seto won't. He thinks it's a waste of time." Mokuba said sadly.

"We'll just have to change his mind them. Now let's go get him. I have a plan." Tea said smiling evilly.

Seto was working in his office when there was a knock on the door.

"Come in." He said and continued working.

"Hey Seto." Mokuba and Tea said at the same time, making him look up.

"What are you two doing here? Do you need something?" He asked them, suspicious of their smiling faces.

"Kind of." Mokuba said.

"Yes we do." Tea said.

"What is it?" He asked after they didn't elaborate.

"The carnival is in town and we want to go." Mokuba said jumping up and down in excitement.

"Mokuba, I have told you several times. Must I repeat myself?" Seto said shaking his head.

"But Seto, we get bored sitting in the house all day. An outing will be fun. And I think you need to get out of this stinking office as well." Tea said.

"Come on Seto. Please. I never get to spend any time with you." Mokuba whined, trying to guilt Seto into agreeing.

"But Mokuba." Seto sighed, ready to explain to his brother, but Mokuba took out his secret weapon. Puppy dog eyes. Seto stared at his adorable brother and couldn't find the strength to say no. He turned to Tea.

"Tea, explain to him. Tell him-." But he stopped, shocked at what he was seeing. She was giving him the same look. With two pairs of bright eyes peering at him, he gave up.

"Alright You win. We'll go to the stupid carnival." He grumbled.

"Yay. You're the best seto." They both yelled happily and ran downstairs, chattering excitedly amongst themselves. Seto just laughed at their antics.

* * *

"I want to go on the big wheel."

"I want to ride the roller coaster."

"I want to play games."

"I want to eat a lot of cotton candy."

"No, hot dogs. They are tasty."

Tea and Mokuba had been saying things like that the whole way during the ride. Seto had listened to it patiently, but he didn't have much patience.

"Stop. It." He said in a serious tone, silencing them both. "We'll do whatever you want if you shut up now." They both nodded and he continued driving.

Normally, they would use the limo, but Tea wanted him to drive his car this time. She thought a limo would attract too much attention. But Seto said that wherever he went, attention found it's way there, so she didn't have to worry about that. But Mokuba had agreed with her and so here he was, driving them. The car came to a halt in the parking lot besides the entrance to the carnival. Seto, Tea and Mokuba got out, smiling lightly. People around them turned to stare at them and whisper among themselves.

"Just ignore them." Seto told Tea and Mokuba as they went inside the gates. Mokuba and Tea soon spotted the giant roller coaster and ran towards it. Seto followed, shaking is head in disbelief at their childishness. Mokuba and Tea got tickets for themselves. They wanted Seto to sit with them but only two people could sit in one and Seto said he didn't want to go on the roller coaster, so they left him. He stood besides the metal fence, watching them.

"Sorry kid, but you can't sit in this one. This is for big kids, not shrimps like you." A young man said to Mokuba who was sitting besides Tea.

"What? You have to be kidding Me." Mokuba said in disbelief.

"Ask that man who works here, if you don't believe me." The man said smirking.

"All right, we will." Tea said glaring at the man, who only laughed. They asked the man who worked there and found that Mokuba wouldn't sit in that particular roller coaster. He didn't meet the height requirements.

"Oh, what are you going to do now?" Tea said as mokuba got out.

"I am gonna go on the other one." He pointed to another one, which was smaller compared to the one Tea was sitting in.

"Okay. But what am I going to do? I don't want to be alone in this. It will be no fun." Tea said looking disappointed.

"No worries babe. What am I here for? I'll sit with you incase you get scared and need someone to hold." The young man who told Mokuba about the ride said as he sat in Mokuba's seat.

"The only thing that is scaring me is your ugly face. And the only way to get rid of it is for you to get the hell out of here." Tea said angrily to the guy. But he only laughed.

"Feisty. I like it." He said, as he got comfortable in the seat. Tea realized he wasn't in any mood to leave, so she decided to.

"Since you are not leaving, I will. I won't be able to eat lunch, thanks to you, but I won't miss dinner as well. So sit here and scare the others." She got up, ready to leave but he grabbed her arm and yanked her back into the seat. Tea yelped in surprise.

"Oh no. You are not going anywhere. You'll sit here with me and enjoy the ride." The man said smirking. Tea looked helplessly at Mokuba. She tried to yank her arm out of his grip but he held on tightly.

"Let her go you freak." Mokuba said angrily. The man turned to stare at Mokuba and laughed.

"And who are you, her boyfriend?" He laughed again. "I don't think she needs a shrimp like you. She deserves a man like me. And she'll get one. Now scram. Go to your mommy." The man turned to Tea again and tried to run his fingers through her hair. Tea, once again, struggled to get out of his grasp, but failed, yet again.

Mokuba did, scram from there, but instead of going to his mommy, he went to his brother.

"Seto, Seto, come with me fast." Mokuba said as he ran towards his big brother.

"What is it Mokuba? Why aren't you with Tea?" seto asked.

"I was with her. But a man made me get out because I was young. Then he got in beside her and is harassing her. He wouldn't let her out." As soon as Mokuba finished, Seto started walking towards the roller coaster. Mokuba followed, smiling evilly.

* * *

Tea was having trouble trying to keep the man's hands away from her body. He kept trying to touch her. She couldn't even get away from him. He kept smiling as if he was enjoying her discomfort. She felt like punching his ugly face. She tried but he grabbed her that arm as well. Now both of her arms were trapped within his strong grip.

"Pretty faces like you shouldn't mess with people like me. But I'll let it slide. After all, I can't hurt something so delicious." He licked his lips and moved in to kiss her. She moved her had back as much as she could, but he only came closer. She closed her eyes, trying to block his image out. Just when she could smell his tobacco-laced breath, he jerked his head back. She opened her eyes and saw that _someone_ had pulled his head back. And that _someone_ was Seto.

"I'll give you 30 seconds to get away from her and out of my sight." Seto said in a dangerously venomous voice. He glared at the man with angry eyes. Though his face was expressionless, a hint of anger could be detected. His eyes and his clenched fists clearly indicated he was about to blow.

"S… sorry man. I didn't know she was taken." The man stammered, scared by Seto's demeanor.

"20 seconds." Seto said and the man quickly got out and ran away from them. Tea watched him run in amusement and then turned to Seto.

"Thanks." She said smiling gratefully at him. He didn't reply.

"I have to go now, or I'll miss the ride. See ya." Mokuba said as he ran towards the small roller coaster.

"I guess I better get out too." Tea said as she started to get out but stopped when Seto got in to sit beside her.

"What are you doing?" She said completely shocked. He said he didn't like roller coasters or any joy rides.

"Clearly, a single beautiful girl attracts too many horny morons, so I'll stay with you. And since you want to ride this abomination, I guess I have no other choice." He said, not looking at her.

'Beautiful. He said a beautiful girl.' Tea thought happily. His other words sunk in slowly. He cared for her and so was here, even though he didn't want to. She smiled at his kind gesture. The roller coaster slowly started moving and Tea held on to the rail tightly. Excitement and fear ran through her veins like blood. As they moved up, she knew they would soon go down and through a loop. She held onto the railing and closed her eyes, as her body was jerked forward and her heart stuck in her throat.

Seto noticed Tea's tensed posture and her white knuckles and smiled. She was scared. He could not understand why people went on these rides if they were afraid. He slowly put an arm around her shoulders and brought her closer to him. Upon contact, her body relaxed. Tea didn't feel scared any more. He was glad that his touch was able to quell her fear and bring her comfort.

* * *

"That was so awesome. I loved it. How about you guys?" An excited Mokuba asked Tea and Seto.

"It was so cool." Tea said and Seto didn't argue. He may not have liked the ride, but he liked what happened during the ride when Tea clung to him.

"Let's go play some games." Mokuba suggested and Tea nodded. They walked towards the many game stalls. Tea and Mokuba tried many games, won some and failed at many. Suddenly Tea spotted a huge stuffed panda. She squealed in joy and ran towards it. It was the first prize and to win it, she had to knock 5 bottles in one blow with a ball. She tried several times but failed. The most she got was 4 bottles. Then she gave up and turned around to go to some other game.

"Let me try it. It's not so hard." Seto said. He grabbed the ball and threw it with impressive strength. The force knocked over many more then 5 bottles. The whole stall with the bottles shook. The man ran to hold it, preventing it from falling over.

"You won sir. Take whatever you want." He said trying to fix the bottles again.

"Take whatever you want." Seto said to Tea, who stared at him surprised. Then she took the panda and hugged it. It was the same size as her, just a foot smaller. Seto watched the ridiculous sight of a grown girl hugging a stuffed animal her size.

"Oh thank you Seto. Thank you so much. You are the best." She squealed hugging the panda _and_ him. He tried hard not to blush and smile. He had seen her disappointed face when she had lost. He just couldn't see her looking so miserable so he played the stupid game. He could buy her hundreds of those idiotic toys but he knew she would be happier if he won it for her. And she was. They continued going from game stall to game stall, trying their luck. After a few hours, they could feel the tiredness of the day overtaking them.

"That was so much fun." Mokuba said happily, and Seto ruffled his hair. "Hey look Seto it's the game that I have. Let's go play it. I bet I can beat you." Mokuba said dragging Seto towards it.

"You guys go ahead. I'll go get something to eat for us." Tea said and walked towards a hot dog stand. She bought three and walked towards them when she heard someone call her name.

"Hey Tea. Wait up." She stopped dead in her tracks and then turned around to stare at the face she hated the most in the world.

"What do you want?" She asked, venom dripping from every word. He looked surprised but recovered quickly.

"I have been looking for you. Thank God I found you. And no one else is here too."

"Why? So you can hurt me again? I don't think that's a very wise choice. There are far too many people here. Shouldn't we be in an alley? And shouldn't you have your buddies with you?"

"Tea, please listen to me. I never wanted to hurt you. I never did." He said sadly.

"Yeah right. You were the one who slapped me Yugi. That hurt me more then the other blows." Tears were forming in the corner of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She would never let him have the pleasure of seeing her cry again.

"No Tea. It was Yami." He defended himself.

"You could have stopped him. But you didn't. You just watched him and the others. Just watched and enjoyed it." She accused him.

"Tea, please listen to me. When Serenity told us that, none of us believed her. But then you came and did what she told us. It hurt all of us, and we believed her story. In rage, Yami hit you. You know how he is when it comes to betrayal. He becomes very angry and unreasonable. But he was hurt by the action too. Tell me Tea, what would you have done in our place?"

"I would have given my childhood friend a chance to explain herself and would have believed her." She said. Yugi looked down in shame.

"And I did want to. I had a feeling Serenity was lying, and that you wouldn't do that. You would never betray us. Deep down, we all knew that, and still know that. At that time, we were blinded by anger. And Yami was hurt the most. When you left crying…"

(Flashback)

"Yami, say something. You have been acting like a stone ever since Tea and everyone else left." Yugi asked his yami.

"I can't believe it. How could she? How could I?" Yami said, not looking up.

"Yami, calm down. I have a feeling Serenity was lying." Yugi said, placing a comforting hand on Yami's shoulder.

"But why did Tea do exactly the same then? She didn't know what Serenity was going to say? She betrayed us Yugi. She had been with Kaiba all along. And I trusted her. I let her be my best friend, my most trust worthy fried. And she stabbed me in the back." Uami said staring at his hands.

"Yami, please listen to me. The Tea I know would never do that. And you know that as well." Yugi said.

"Maybe we never knew the real Tea. Maybe she lied to us all along. And I was such a fool to trust her. A fool." Yami punched the wall.

"Yami." Yugi said worriedly, watching his yami shake.

"I hit her Yugi. She betrayed me and that's why I hit her. But then why do I feel so bad? Why does it hurt?" Yami's voice was shaking. Tears ran down Yugi's face.

(End flashback)

"So that's what _really_ happened? How did I miss that?" Tea said sarcastically.

"Tea, you don't believe me, but it's true." Yugi said desperately, trying to convince her.

"Sure Yugi. All the time they were hitting me, they were doing it out of love and care. I completely believe you." Her voice changed from sarcastic to sad. "You just didn't hurt me physically, but emotionally as well. My wounds may appear healed but the scars will always remind me of your inhumanity."

"Tea please. Yami was hurt. He was blinded by rage and pain, but he's very sorry." Yugi said.

"Sorry doesn't do anything Yugi. And why was he so hurt? Because he didn't get a chance to send me to the shadow realm? The thought of me still living must be painful to him."

"Tea, he was hurt because-." Yugi started but Tea cut him.

"Stop it Yugi. I'm not going to listen to any more of your lies." Yugi wanted to say something but stopped when he saw Seto come and stand behind Tea.

"What's the problem Tea?" He asked her, glaring at Yugi.

"Nothing important." She said.

"Then let's go. We have spent enough time here. Mokuba is already in the car." Seto said.

"Okay, let's go." Tea said and walked away with him, leaving Yugi alone, staring sadly at them.

"He was hurt because he hurt you Tea. Because he loved you and he still does." Yugi finished, staring at their backs, watching them disappear into the crowd.

...

* * *

please review.


	7. chap 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh, or the song used in this chapter. The song is called "Two Faced", and is by Louise.

"talk"

'thoughts'

* * *

...

"Hey Seto, guess what I found in the mail?" An excited Mokuba asked Seto.

"What is it?" Seto said, not looking up from his laptop.

"It's an invitation to some kind of duelist convention. You're invited."

"Hmm. Sure Mokuba." Seto said, half listening to what Mokuba had said.

"Seto." Mokuba whined at his brother's lack of attention.

"Mokuba, I'm busy." Seto said, finally looking up.

"I know. But what I am saying is not going to take long. Do you want to go? Its tonight. I can't believe you don't sort through your mail on time. If I didn't do it for you, we would miss so many of cool events like this. Anyway, Tea and I would love to."

"Sure, whatever you want." Seto said, dismissing him.

"Awesome. I am going to go tell Tea." Mokuba said happily and ran out of the room.

* * *

"Hey Tea, I've got good news. We are going to a little duelist reunion." Mokuba told Tea who was in the gym, practicing.

"I bet it's not so little if your brother is going." Tea said smiling, and Mokuba nodded.

"Yeah. All the duelists are going to be there. It's tonight." Tea raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Isn't this kind of late? When did you find out about this? Are we even invited?"

"Of course we are invited." Mokuba said. "Seto got the invite a week ago and I'm sure he was notified through email even earlier. But he never pays attention to these kind of events and never pays attention to his mail. I was just going through it before I threw it all away and I found it. We are lucky that I found it or we would have missed it. Anyway, we better get ready. I bet it will be loads of fun. Hurry up and get ready before Seto changes his mind." Mokuba said and ran off, yet again. Tea laughed at his excitement. She could guess that Mokuba didn't get to attend many similar events, probably because Seto didn't want to. So now that Seto had agreed, the kid was beyond happy. She began picking up her stuff from the floor and proceeding to take a shower. She didn't want to be late.

* * *

"Tea are you ready yet?" mMkuba asked from downstairs. Tea was still in Seto's room. He and seto had been waiting for her for quite some time. He was pretty excited about the whole function. Finally, the door opened and Tea stepped out. Mokuba's jaw fell on the floor. Tea looked absolutely hot in her outfit.

She was wearing an ocean blue, sleeveless tank top, with a black jeans skirt. She was wearing a silver chain hanging, as a belt and a silver choker as well. In her arms were two silver bracelets. She was wearing black sneakers. She wasn't wearing any make up, except lip-gloss and some foundation. But even with that less, she looked absolutely gorgeous.

Seto was having the same reaction. He was having trouble keeping his eyes off her. He, himself, was wearing a matching blue silk shirt, with top 2 buttons undone, revealing his chest, and black pants under that. He was also wearing a black coat. He looked sexy, and Tea's eyes kept wandering to that perfect chest of his.

"I am ready. Let's go Mokuba." Tea said, smiling at the little kid.

"Sure." He said and they stepped into the limo. The limo ride was silent, except Mokuba talking about what game he was going to play at the arcade, since that was the location of the convention.

* * *

Many camera flashes greeted them. Seto frowned at the photographers, glaring them away. Tea smiled at his reaction and they stepped inside. Tea gasped upon their entrance. The whole arcade looked completely different. It had been transformed to the theme of duel monsters for the night. Big posters of famous monsters decorated the walls. The place swarmed with people wearing duel disks.

"I should have known." Seto grumbled.

"What happened?" Tea asked him.

"The media is here. Now they will bother us." Mokuba said. "Seto really hates that."

"Don't worry. I'm sure they'll find someone else, someone more willing to chase after." Tea said, her eyes fixed on a corner of the room. Seto glanced there and spotted her ex-friends. He glared in their direction. Mokuba was too busy looking at all the new games to notice that.

"I'm gonna check out all the new games." He said and ran off, leaving Tea and Seto alone.

"He seems pretty excited." Tea said, smiling as Mokuba disappeared out of sight.

"Yeah. Let's go someplace where these reporters can't see us." Seto suggested. Tea turned to stare at him with mischief in her eyes.

"Sure thing Seto." She said coyly and they walked away from the entrance.

* * *

"Whoa. Check it out man. Every single duelist in the city is here." Joey said amazed.

"You better watch it Joey or you might get your ass handed to you by someone." Tristen said laughing.

"Hey, I'm better them all of them." Joey boasted.

"Sure you are." Tristen said and they started arguing. Yugi stood beside him, his eyes scanning the crowds for a familiar face. He was so engrossed that he didn't notice a figure approaching.

"Hello there. I must say I'm not surprised to see you all here." Yugi looked up to see Mako Tsunami.

"Hello Mako. I am not surprised to see you either. All the great duelists are here, and you, no doubt, are one of them." Yugi said smiling at his old friend.

"Hey there Mako, my man. Remember me?" Joey said and Mako smiled.

"Oh yes. I remember you quite well. We have met twice before Joey. And Tristen, I remember you from duelist kingdom as well." Mako said smiling as he shook hands with them.

"Yeah, we remember you too man." Tristen said.

"Say, where is the beautiful young girl that always accompanied you guys?" Mako asked. The guys shifted uncomfortably.

"This is my sister, Serenity." Joey said, bringing Serenity up front to meet him.

"Hi, it's very nice to meet you." Mako said kindly, smiling at Serenity before turning to Joey again.

"Actually, I'm talking about Tea. She was with you during our last duel in battle city. Where is she?" Mako asked and Serenity frowned.

"I don't know and I seriously don't care." Joey said sourly, looking away.

"Did something happen between you guys? You seemed pretty tight friends to me." Mako said, surprised at the response he had received.

"Things are not always what they seem Mako." Yugi finally said.

"Right you are Yugi. But I'm sure she is here though. I think I saw her. Ah, there she is. I'll go say hi to her." Mako said, having finally spotted Tea. The gang looked in that direction and found her standing, chatting with Seto Kaiba. Serenity's mouth fell open. That couldn't be possible. Why the hell would Kaiba talk to her?

Mako gently tapped Tea on the shoulder, catching her attention.

"Mako? Oh my God, it's really you. It's so good to see you." Tea said, enthusiastically greeting him.

"Same here Tea. It's been a long time since we last saw each other." He said, smiling brightly at her.

"Yeah. It was during battle city. But we didn't get to talk much then." Tea beamed at him.

"But I do remember our conversation from duelist kingdom. You wanted me to teach you to fish."

"Oh yeah. The way you caught the fish with such accuracy and speed, really impressed me. I wanted to learn that. But forget that. Did you have any luck finding your father?" Tea asked him apprehensively.

"Not yet." He replied sadly. "But I'm still looking for him, and I'll find him one day." He said with determination.

"I am sure you will. With your determination and courage, nothing can stand in your way." She said, smiling assuringly at him.

"If I have the support of a beauty like you, I can never fail. Truly, you look absolutely gorgeous tonight. Maybe gorgeous is understating it a bit." Mako said flirtatiously with a wink.

"Oh, you're just saying that. But still, thanks for the compliment." Tea blushed prettily.

"No, no. I am telling the truth. Many sailors dream about the mermaids but I can easily tell them now, that I saw someone even more beautiful then that." Tea giggled even more at his comment. Seto, however, growled with anger. This got Tea's attention.

"This here is Seto Kaiba. I'm sure you know him already." Tea said, pointing to Seto.

"Well of course. Who doesn't?" Mako said looking at Kaiba, who glared at him.

"If you don't mind me asking Tea, why aren't you with Yugi or Joey? I just met them a minute ago." Mako asked and Tea looked away.

"It's not important." She said.

"If you don't want to tell me, it's perfectly okay. I understand." Mako quickly said, noticing her discomfort.

"We just had a misunderstanding, that's all." She said, which wasn't technically a lie.

"Okay. I was just curious. I have seen you support them in many tough situations and was just wondering why weren't you with them now." Mako admitted. "I apologize if I caused you any discomfort."

"It's no problem really." Tea smiled.

"I think we better move away from here. I see a swarm of reporters equipped with cameras approaching." Seto said and grabbed Tea's arm.

"Okay Mako, I'll see you later. Bye." Tea said, before she was led away from there by Seto. Mako watched them leave and slowly whispered.

"I think I know why you aren't with them Tea. Because you're with Kaiba." He knew all about Kaiba's hatred for Yugi, and Joey's and Kaiba's old rivalry, if you could call it that. When he met with Yugi, he could tell something was bothering him. Maybe this was it. The fact that his best friend was with his nemesis bothered him. He looked sad, as if torn inside. And Kaiba was acting weird too. He seemed jealous when Mako and Tea were talking. And Mako could swear Kaiba took Tea away because of the same reason. This was too confusing for him to understand.

* * *

"Hi hun. Did you miss me?" The unmistakable voice of Mai Valentine surprised the gang.

"Hey Mai. It's so great to see you. What's up?" Joey said smiling.

"Nothing but me. I'm flying high, as usual." Mai said smugly and Joey laughed.

"Yeah. I don't doubt that." He said laughing.

"So, everybody is having fun, huh?" She said and they all shrugged their shoulders, except Serenity.

"Yeah Mai. It's absolutely awesome. I love it." She said overjoyed.

"Really." Mai said, glancing at everyone. Yugi seemed pale, like he hadn't slept properly for weeks. Tristen had a weird look oh his face, as if he had lost something, and Joey seemed… well, he seemed irritated, ready to bite anyone who dared to disturb his peace, not that he displayed any at the moment. Serenity was the only one who seemed genuinely happy.

"You have me fooled… with your sorry faces." Mai exclaimed. "What is wrong guys? And where is Tea? Did she go to the bathroom or something? She better some back soon, cause she took away the spirit of this group as well. Seriously, what's wrong?" Mai asked.

"Nothing is wrong Mai. It's just that so many rival duelists are here that-." Serenity began but Mai cut her off.

"Come on Serenity. I know these guys, and they are always excited to see duelists. Joey can't contain himself from a challenge. But look at them now, sitting with sad faces. Something is _definitely_ wrong and you're going to tell me what? Yugi… Joey… I am waiting." She said sternly. Just then, the owner of the arcade went on stage.

"Hello everyone and welcome to the Domino Arcade." He said, and everybody turned to face him. "We have many talented duelists gathered here, but that's not the only talent present in this arcade. We do have a dancer, whose moves charm us all." He paused to look at Tea, who was shocked. "Yes, I am talking about the champion of DDR, the dancing queen, Tea Gardner." There was applause and cheering from the crowd. Almost everyone in the arcade knew Tea, either because of her dancing talents or because of her friendship with Yugi and Joey. The owner knew her as well because Tea was in the arcade everyday. They were friends.

"Tea, I have seen you dance on this very stage many times, defeat countless opponents and mesmerize us with your moves. Do you think you can do it again?" He asked her. She turned to Seto, as if asking for permission. He answered by smiling and Tea smiled too.

"Okay guys. Get ready to dance with the master." The owner yelled, as Tea stepped on the stage.

"Tea, I do appreciate yo doing this." He said as she stood before him.

"No problem. You know how much I love dancing. Can you play "Two Faced" by Louise?" She said and he nodded. Since Tea was friends with him, she asked him to play the song of her choice.

The song began. Tea smiled at Seto and extended her arms and slowly started swaying her hips to the music. She looked around and found her former friends watching her as well. She stared right into Yugi's eyes as the lyrics started.

Ow, ow, twisted and deceitful  
All those two-faced people  
Taking me for some kind of fool  
Ow, ow, pretending to be so nice  
Let me give you my advice  
I don't need you, ooh  
Friends in disguise  
Dressed up in lies  
It's an act that you're playing  
Ow, ow, first you recognize me  
Then you criticize me, what's goin on

She turned to glare at Serenity, who looked away, not wanting to meet her eyes. She turned to look at Joey in the eyes, and at the same time, sang the lyrics as well.

Stop your bitchin'  
'Coz you're so sad  
Bitchin' behind my back  
Honey, I don't need that  
So kick it to the curb  
Because I heard you're two-faced  
Tryin' to get in my place  
Work too hard to make mistakes  
So stop your bitchin' on me

Ow, ow, they're so narrow-minded  
Truth is so one-sided  
They're just counterfeits  
Ow, ow, hot and cold you're blowing  
Sheep in Wolf clothing  
And who are you trying to kid, eh  
Two-faced people are so shallow  
Put yourself in my place  
Ow, ow, the fairy tales you're spinning  
Sounding so convincing  
But I'm at a loss

Stop your bitchin'  
'Coz you're so sad  
Bitchin' behind my back  
Honey, I don't need that  
So kick it to the curb  
Because I heard you're two-faced  
Tryin' to get in my place  
Work too hard to make mistakes  
So stop your bitchin' on me

Yugi looked away. He could not bear to look into Tea's eyes anymore. They held such pain, such hatred that it ripped his heart. She had been his best friend; his oldest friend, and seeing her like this hurt him. Her accusing eyes chocked him, making it hard for him to breath. Her movements displayed the anger and feelings that her lips refused to utter.

Poison words are spoken  
my faith in you is broken  
But I'll make it on my own  
Ow, ow, twisted and deceitful  
All those two-faced people  
Taking me for some kind of fool  
Ow, ow, they're so narrow-minded  
Truth is so one-sided  
But honey you're wrong

Tea faced Joey and Yugi as she danced. Yugi was looking away sadly, not being able to bear it. But Joey seemed angry as hell. He muttered something to Tristen who grumbled something in return. Serenity also seemed enraged and marched outside. Mai, who had watched the whole ordeal, seemed utterly confused. What was happening here? Tristen and Joey got up to follow Serenity, while Yugi sank further into the crowd.

Stop your bitchin'  
'Coz you're so sad  
Bitchin' behind my back  
Honey, I don't need that  
So kick it to the curb  
Because I heard you're two-faced  
Tryin' to get in my place  
Work too hard to make mistakes  
So stop your bitchin' on me  
Stop your bitchin'  
'Coz you're so sad  
Bitchin' behind my back  
Honey, I don't need that  
So kick it to the curb  
Because I heard you're two-faced  
Tryin' to get in my place  
Work too hard to make mistakes  
So stop your bitchin' on me  
Stop this hypocrisy  
You're criticizing me  
'Coz I don't wanna be  
With two-faced people, yeah

The song ended and the whole arcade was filled with cheers and applause. Some guys were whistling and hooting. Tea was already looking hot and that dance made her look even hotter, if it was even possible. She walked straight to Seto.

"How did I do?" She asked him, out of breath. He smiled.

"You were more amazing then anything I have seen in my whole life." Tea smiled brightly. Mokuba also came running.

"Wow Tea. You were awesome. Everyone is praising you." Mokuba said excitedly and Tea smiled.

"Thanks Mokuba. Seto, can we go home now?" Tea asked him and he nodded.

* * *

Mai walked towards Joey and Tristen who were trying to talk to Serenity. Mai didn't understand why was Serenity so angry. She tapped Joey on the shoulder.

"Joey wheeler, explain…_now_."

...

* * *

please review.


	8. chap 8

Disclaimer: "I do not own Yugioh."

"talk"

'thoughts'

* * *

...

"You'll have to try harder than that to hit me." Seto said as he dodged another one of Tea's punches. They were in the gym practicing... well maybe not practicing. Seto claimed that Tea had finished her training and was ready. So this was her test. She had to defeat her master to prove her strength. Tea knew she could never beat Seto but she was trying to at least land a hit. All she wanted to do was do a little damage.

She kicked him in the ribs but he grabbed her leg and twisted her ankle. Tea quickly flipped to her left and twisted his elbow. Seto hadn't expect that. He groaned in pain and quickly let go of her ankle. Tea hadn't let go of his elbow so he plunged it in her ribs. She tried not to scream in pain and stepped away. Seto turned to face her and smirked.

Her futile efforts were agitating her. So she decided to do one last and powerful attack. She ran towards him and lifted her leg to kick his face. He blocked it with his arm but that left his stomach vulnerable. Tea punched his guts and he doubled over in pain. Tea kicked his knee, making him fall on his knees. This was her chance. She raised her fist to knock him out but he grabbed her fist and pulled her towards the floor. She landed with a thud and groaned. He flipped and got on her back, her arms twisted behind her.

She struggled to get up, but he pressed her down with his weight. Tea moved her leg to kick his back. She was flexible so she managed to kick him pretty hard. He fell forward and she managed to sit up. But he grabbed her arms once again, making it impossible to use them. He wrapped his legs around her legs making them useless as well. She now sat with her back against his chest, his arms and legs wrapped around her.

"Like I said, you'll have to do better then that." He whispered in her ear. Both teens were tired and were breathing hard. When he spoke, his breath hit her neck and sent shivers up her spine. She stopped her struggling. Seto noticed that and took a deep breath, but didn't loosen his grip.

"You win." She said breathing heavily. "I give up." He rested his forehead in her shoulder and finally let his guard down. They sat like that, trying to catch their breaths.

Seto could feel her flesh pressed against his. She was wearing a loose t-shirt and shorts. He himself was wearing a loose shirt and pants. He took in her scent. Even after sweating so much, she smelled wonderful to him. Her scent mixed with sweat was intoxicating to him somehow. He noticed the position they were in. It would seem like they were lovers but they weren't, right? He knew he felt something for her. He wasn't sure if it was love. He wanted to be with her, to hold her, and feel her body pressed against his. Was that love?

He lowered his head to kiss her shoulder. Her body stiffened, but he didn't stop. He continued kissing her shoulder and up her neck. She sat still, not moving an inch. He sucked on her earlobe and she moaned a bit. This encouraged him and he ran his fingers through her hair to relax her. His other hand pulled her more towards him as he continued kissing and pleasing her.

Tea didn't know what to do. What was Seto doing? Did he even realize that it was her he was kissing? His lips did magic to her body and she found herself moaning and wanting more. She shyly moved her hands to touch his face that was buried in her neck. She closed her eyes and let him continue.

Seto felt her tense body relax and slowly turned her body around to face him. Her yes were closed and there was a smile on her face. He was happy to know he was the one who brought that smile on those rosy lips. Suddenly, he felt the urge to kiss those lips and to feel them pressed against his. He slowly bent forward, lips parting to kiss her.

"Seto… Tea… where are you guys?" Mokuba's voice came from outside, startling the two teens. Tea's eyes snapped open and she was shocked to see Seto so close.

"S… Seto." She whispered. He detected confusion and fear in her eyes. He quickly released her from his lap, moved away and stood up.

"You… you did pretty good. I am proud of you." He said facing away from her under the guise of picking up a towel to dry himself.

"Th… thanks." She said. He sharply turned and left the gym.

How could he have been such a fool? She was scared of him. She was scared to trust him, or anyone for that matter. She was like him, too afraid to trust anyone. Those friends of her did more damage then they intended. His hands balled into fists with rage. He was so close to her, yet he couldn't be close enough. He couldn't tell her he about his desires of feelings towards her. He was just a friend… just a friend.

* * *

Tea sat nervously on the couch, fiddling with her skirt. Mokuba came skipping happily.

"Isn't it cool? We get to go back to school today. I was so bored of staying in the house."

"Yeah." Tea forced a smile. Mokuba continued chatting animatedly. He was so excited to see all of his friends again. But Tea couldn't feel his enthusiasm. The truth was that Tea didn't want to go back to school. She was afraid of facing 'them' again. Seto came down and sat beside her.

"What are you thinking?" He asked her, studying her expression.

"I… I don't want to go back to school." she confessed sheepishly.

"Why?" He asked.

"I don't want to face them." She admitted, a blush of shame coloring her face.

"Are you afraid? Because if you are, then you're giving them what they want. They want you to feel this way. But if you face them, this will show them that you're strong. The best way to get rid of a fear is to face it. Besides, I will be there with you." Seto said encouragingly. Tea smiled.

"Yeah. I guess I forgot that." She said smiling.

"Let's go guys. I don't wanna be late on our first day back." Mokuba said. He was holding his bag and was ready to leave. Tea let out a small smile and they walked towards the limo.

* * *

"Bye Mokuba. Take care." Tea yelled after Mokuba ran out of the car to meet his friends. The limo drove towards Domino High. And as it moved closer, Tea's heartbeat increased. This was the same school she had spent years in, but it didn't feel so friendly, so comfortable anymore. The limo stopped in front of the school gate and Tea felt her heart stop. Her face went pale. Seto placed an assuring hand on hers and she forced a smile. He was there for her. He always will be. Her heart said so.

Everyone's eyes were on Seto and Tea when they walked out of the limo together. Tea was nervous and glanced around at the whispering faces, but Seto just ignored everyone, occassionally glaring at someone who was in his way. This gave Tea some courage and her nervousness slowly disappeared. It was the same school, she told herself. Yeah, it was the same school.

"I have to go to my locker to get some books." Tea told Seto and he nodded. They walked towards her locker, and just like Tea expected, her old friends were there. After all, they all had gotten lockers side by side, so she expected to run into them. But they weren't talking or doing anything at all. They were just standing there, waiting for Yugi to get his books. Their faces were solemn. Tea wanted to ignore them, but it was hard, especially when her locker was between Joeys and Yugi's. And Joey was leaning against her locker. Lucky for her, they hadn't noticed her yet.

"Excuse me." A familiar voice got the attention of the gang. They quickly turned around to face Tea. Their mouth fell open slightly. They stood there, immobile.

"Didn't you geeks hear what she said?" Seto's rough voice shook them out of their trance.

"Kaiba, what are you doing here?" Tristen asked. He knew Kaiba's locker was not in that hall, if he had bothered with a locker at all.

"That's none of your business. Now move, we're late for class." Seto said roughly and pushed them out of the way. Tea moved forward and got her books. The guys just stood there, watching. After she got her books, she left with Seto. When they disappeared out of sight, Joey managed to say.

"Why was Kaiba with Tea?" No one answered. No one had the answer, except Yugi.

'Because we pushed her away.' He thought sadly as they walked towards their class. Yugi's eyes went to the seat where Tea used to sit. It was empty. He found her sitting in the back with Kaiba. It didn't surprise him, but it still hurt him. He sat in his seat. Joey and the others sat in their usual seats. The teacher came and started taking attendance. When she called Tea's name, she heard her say "here", but couldn't see her in her seat. She scanned the room and saw her sitting with Kaiba.

"Why aren't you in your usual seat Tea?" The teacher asked her, completely surprised. She had seen Kaiba bicker so many times with Yugi's group. And before the two week vacations, Tea was in Yugi's group. Hell, the teacher had seen her verbally fight with the teen billionaire many times. But today, she was sitting with him, and he seemed fine with it too.

"I am not feeling well and need to sit next to the window." Tea lied.

"But you can't change your seat just like that. You-." Seto cut her off.

"She isn't feeling well. If anything happens to her because of your actions, she can sue you and the school." Seto said in his icy tone. The teacher shut up quickly. She didn't want to get Kaiba involved. The teen might just do it to spite the teacher. But why was he getting involved in the first place? This was too confusing. All the kids in the class were now staring at Kaiba and Tea with one question in their minds. Why was Kaiba supporting Tea?

* * *

"Oh my God, did you see what happened in the class today?"

"Yeah. Kaiba stood up for Tea."

"She sat with him."

"They came to school together."

"They were in the same limo."

"They went to every class together."

"Tea ditched Yugi and her old friends for Kaiba."

"Tea is Kaiba's girl now."

"I heard they are dating."

"I heard…."

Seto and Tea were the topic of everyone's conversation that day. They were followed by looks and pointing fingers, but they ignored it all. They didn't care what people said about them. But some people did.

* * *

"We just have to get Tea to be in our group." A popular girl said to her friends as they sat in the cafeteria.

"What? You have to be kidding me." Spoke none other then Serenity. Yes. She was a 'popular' girl now. After all, she was Joey Wheeler's sister, Yugi Motou's best friend, Duke Devlin's crush, or as she told them so.

"Didn't you see her today? She has been with Kaiba all day, walking and laughing as if they were dating." The first girl said.

"They _are_ dating." Another girl said.

"Any girl who knows Kaiba is cool enough to be in our group. Besides, if we get her to be our friend, we might get to know and be friends with Kaiba too. How cool would that be?" Another girl said and they all agreed, except Serenity of course.

"I know Kaiba too. I was on his blimp during Battle City." Serenity said, and the girls rolled their eyes. Serenity had told them that but they hadn't believed her. They hadn't seen her on TV when the duels were broadcasted. However, they had seen Tea.

"Tea was there. We saw her on TV but we never saw you." The first girl said shrugging her shoulders. Serenity frowned at her tone.

"I was taking care of my friend who got hurt in a duel." Serenity said.

"Sure." The girl said, again in a tone of disbelief.

"Tea would never agree to be in our group." Serenity said, knowing that the girls wouldn't change their minds. "She refused your offer before too." What Serenity said wasn't a lie. The girls had offered Tea their friendship but she had refused, saying that she didn't want to be a part of the group that thought they were superior then others without any merit.

"You're right. But we have to try. Maybe she will agree now and we'll get to talk to Kaiba." A girl said dreamily.

"I can do that." Serenity said confidently.

"Kaiba doesn't even talk to you." A girl said flatly.

"He didn't talk to Tea before either. And I know Tea dand Kaiba. He can't stand her. He is going to leave her in a matter of days." Serenity said confidently to the girls. And she planned to make sure that happened.

* * *

"Let's go." Seto said Tea as he picked up her bag. School was over and they were about to go pick up Mokuba.

"I just remembered I left a book in my locker. I'll go get it." Tea suddenly said.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Seto asked her.

"No. It's okay." She smiled at his concern. "I'll be back in a second." She said running off. Seto sighed and walked towards his limo.

Tea got her book and was about to leave the building when some shadowy figures blocked the exit. She stopped dead in her tracks. The figures revealed themselves to be…

...

* * *

hahahahahahahaha. a clifhanger. don't hate me. just review please.


	9. Chap 9

Disclaimer: "I do not own Yugioh."

"talk"

'thoughts'

* * *

...

Tea got her book and was about to leave the building when some shadowy figures blocked the exit. She stopped dead in her tracks. The figures revealed themselves to be… her old "friends".

"What do you want?" She said in a cold voice, much like Seto's.

"Tea…" Yugi began but he seemed to be having trouble finding the right words.

"We need to talk." Joey finished.

"Talk about what? We have nothing to talk about." Tea said and tried to walk away from them.

"Tea, please. Give us a chance. At least listen to what we have to say." Yugi pleaded.

"I don't care. Did you give me a chance? Did you listen to what I had to say?" Tea asked them.

"Tea… that's what we want to talk about." Tristen said.

"You see…"

(Flashback)

Mai walked towards Joey and Tristen who were trying to talk to serenity. Mai didn't understand why was Serenity so angry. She tapped Joey on the shoulder.

"Joey Wheeler, explain…_now_."

"I'll explain it to you Mai, as soon as we get home." Joey said and led Serenity towards the car. Mai reluctantly followed. Tristen went inside to get Yugi.

Joey left serenity at his place and then went to Yugi's game shop to talk. Serenity had wanted to come but he was insistent that she stay home and get rest. He didn't want her to be upset again.

"Now, tell me what this is all about?" Mai asked impatiently when they were all inside and seated.

"What do you wanna know?" Tristen asked.

"I want to know everything that has happened between you guys and Tea. Why was she not with you and with Kaiba? Why was she looking at you like that?" Mai said.

"Because she preferred him over us." Joey said angrily, but Mai could detect a hint of sadness in his voice.

"What? Tea would never do that." Mai said in disbelief.

"She did. She…" And then Tristen and Joey explained everything that they knew, including the lies Serenity had told them.

"WHAT?" Mai yelled after listening to the whole story. "That's impossible. How could you?" She yelled at them. Joey stared at her with wide eyes.

"How could we what?" He asked her.

"How could you do that to her? How could you hurt her?" Mai said.

"Mai, look at what she did to us." Tristen said.

"Oh yeah? You tell me what she did. She gave away Joey's strategies huh? Last I checked, Joey never had a strategy when he dueled. In fact, Joey doesn't even bother to plan one before a duel even if he has a chance. Tell me Joey, what is your strategy before a duel?" She pointed at him, who just stared at her slightly dumbfounded.

"Nothing. That's your strategy, nothing. Your mind is filled with nothing but determination to win before a duel. And as you draw cards, strategies form in you head. Am I right?" Joey slowly nodded his head so Mai continued.

"Then how could Tea give them away to Kaiba? If they are in your mind, how could she know them? How could anyone know them if they don't exist?" Mai screamed in frustration. "Unless they are psychic. And Tea in not psychic guys. She is not psychic." They guys looked away guiltily. The logic of Mai's words hit them like bricks.

"Are you saying that Serenity lied to us?" Tristen asked.

"I never said that. But why can't she? She is a human like all of us. She can make mistakes. Maybe she saw something else and thought of it as something else. And why the hell would Tea help Kaiba anyway? She has been with you guys since I can remember. She has supported you through thick and thin. Even in dangerous circumstances, when her own life was at stake, she thought of helping you first. Even when she was scared, she acted brave for you. She would never even think of betraying you. And I know she didn't." Mai stopped there to look at their faces. They were filled with shame and regret.

"And after all she did for you, what did you do to her? You didn't even listen to her. You didn't bother to give her a chance to explain and brutally attacked her like animals." Tears started flowing from Mai's eyes.

"You hit her. You attacked a defenseless girl who was your friend, who trusted you with her life. You hurt the person who cared about you the most. You are all animals. You are even worst then animals. You are the most vile and disgusting creatures I have even seen."

"Mai, lis-." Joey began but Mai interrupted him.

"Don't you say my name Joseph wheeler. You disgust me. You bragged about friendship and sticking up for your friends, but what did you do to your best friend? You nearly killed her. And you Yugi." She glared at the small boy, who had his back to her. "You care about your monsters. Your heart is full of love and compassion for those holograms and cards but there is not even a drop of pity for a human. What kind of a person are you?" She screamed as her body started shaking with rage.

"Mai. Please." Joey got up and extended his hand to touch her, but she shrank away from his touch.

"Don't touch me." She said. "I don't want anything to do with some coldhearted, girl beating bastards. I don't want anything to do with you. If that's how you treat your best friends, I don't even want to think what you can and will eventually do to me." She yelled and ran out of the game shop, crying.

(End flashback)

"We realized that we shouldn't have done what we did." Yugi said, ashamed.

"Oh, so you realized when someone told you and explained it to you. But when I tried to tell you, you refused to listen." Tea said.

"We were blinded by rage then Tea. We couldn't think straight. You know how we are." Joey said.

"I didn't know how or what you were before, but I do know now." She said coldly and walked away from them.

"Tea, please listen to us. Tea-." Tristen pleaded.

"NO." She screamed. "I don't want to listen to your lies anymore. I don't wanna get hurt again." She said as tears started to flow from her eyes.

"Tea." Yugi slowly said, but was interrupted.

"What the hell is happening here?" Seto stood in the hallway, glaring daggers at the gang.

"Kaiba, we were-." Yugi started but was silenced by Seto's glare.

"Shut up midget. I can see what you were planning to do. Too bad your plan failed. I showed up. Maybe next time, you should pick the same alley to do the dirty job." He sneered at them.

"Kaiba, we weren't going to hurt Tea." Tristen said defensively.

"Sure. Like I would believe that. Let's go Tea." Seto said and walked away from them. Tea turned to give one last look of loath to the guys and followed him.

* * *

Tea sat in the study room, reading a book. She had finished her homework and had also helped Mokuba with his. Now, Mokuba was at his friends place and Seto was in his office.

She may be acting like she was reading a book, but her mind was wandering to the conversation that had happened in school. Their words kept ringing in her ears, their regretful faces flashing in her mind. She wanted to believe they were lying, but a little part of her heart didn't want to believe that. Just then, her cell phone rang. She picked it up.

"Hello." She said.

"Hello Tea. It's me Mai." Came the voice from other side.

"Oh." Tea said, not sure how to react. She and Mai were friends, and she knew Mai had knocked some sense into the guys, but she didn't know how to talk to Mai now. A part of her didn't want to confront Mai after what had happened and after what Mai knew. Tea had always defended her friends and her friendship to Mai, and now the same friends had treated her so horribly. She felt like such a fool.

"Tea, can you meet me at the Sundown Café in half hour?" Mai asked.

"Umm, I-." Tea didn't know if she should go or not.

"Tea please, it's important." Mai pleaded. Tea had no choice but to agree. Mai never begged for anything.

"Okay, I'll meet you there." She said and hung up. She had decided to go. Now to tell Seto.

* * *

"Umm Seto?" she said as she entered his office. He looked up from his laptop.

"Something you need?" He asked and she smiled. He had become even more caring and concerned, if that was possible.

"No, I… I was really bored and was thinking that maybe I can go for a walk?" She said.

"If you want to, then go. I'll send Jeff with you just in case." He said. Jeff was a bodyguard.

"No need. I don't want any attention, and an armed man following me will get plenty of attention. Besides, you trained me. I can take care of anyone who even dares to look at me." Tea said proudly and he smiled.

"Sure, if that's what you want." He said. He wanted her to be happy.

"Thanks, I am taking my cell with me in case you want to call me. Okay?" She said and walked out of the office. Seto just sighed to himself, hoping she would be fine. This was her first outing alone, and he hoped she wouldn't meet her friends.

* * *

Tea entered the café and scanned the area for a familiar face. She found one, sitting in a corner. She walked up to her.

"Hello Mai." She said slowly. Mai looked up and smiled faintly.

"I'm so glad you are here Tea. We really need to talk." Mai said and motioned her to sit in the opposite chair.

"What do you wanna talk about?" Tea asked.

"I have already heard the boy's side of the story. Now I wanna hear yours." Mai said. Tea's face fell and she looked away.

"I don't want to talk about it Mai." Tea said, not wanting to remind herself.

"But Tea, I need to know. Please." Mai begged. Tea sighed and told her everything, including her conversation with Serenity and why she did that. At the end, Mai looked horrified.

"I knew someone was behind this, I never expected it to be Serenity." Mai said.

"Me neither." Tea said honestly.

"So now, you live with Kaiba?" Mai asked.

"Yeah." Tea said. "I was only supposed to be there till I got better, but I haven't thought about leaving. Seto and Mokuba haven't mentioned it either. I had some stuff brought over from my place after I gained consciousness, and now it feels like I actually live there." She admitted, but she didn't Tea Mai that she was living in Seto's room, sharing his bed. Even though nothing happened between them, it wouldn't translate as that. Mai would assume something was going on, and at this point, Tea wasn't sure if something was or not. She was confused about her feelings for Seto and some of his actions were not making it any better. She wanted to sort through this mess herself before she told someone else.

"Don't you miss the guys… and the moments you spent with them?" Mai asked.

"I don't." Tea said plainly, but Mai knew she was lying.

"Oh really. Because I know someone who still remembers." Mai said. "In fact, it's a couple of people that you know Tea."

"Who?" Tea asked.

"Why tell you when I can show you. Then you can decided for yourself." Mai said and led Tea out of the café.

"Where are you taking me Mai?" Tea asked as Mai continued to drag her.

"You'll see soon." Mai said. Soon, they were standing outside the Turtle Game Shop.

"Why did you bring me here?" Tea asked coldly.

"To show you what has happened since you left." Mai said and pointed to the inside of the game shop. Tea glanced through the glass window and found two figures lying down; one on the couch and the other was sprawled on the floor. A closer look revealed them to be Joey and Tristen.

"What are they doing here?" Tea asked.

"They have been here all day, drinking." Mai said, pointing to the bottles of beer on the floor. A bottle was held in an unconscious Joey's hand and some drops were falling on the carpet.

"That's what they have been doing, even though they are underaged and they could get in trouble if discovered. But they feel guilty every day and this is how they try to get rid of the feeling. They are trying to forget what they've done, and in the process, they are forgetting themselves. You know that Joey's dad is an alcoholic and that was the reason that ruined his life. Now Joey is doing the same. He is drinking with no care of the future. What saddens the most is that he will probably die of alcohol poisoning before he reaches the same age and fate as his father." Tea was shocked at what Mai said. She stared at Joey once again.

"And Tristen is acting no different. The money that he wanted to spend on a new bike is now being spent on alcohol." Mai continued. Tears welled up in Tea's eyes at her friends' condition.

"Wh… where is Yugi?" She asked.

"Over there." Mai pointed in a dark corner. And Tea saw him, sitting there like a statue, not moving at all.

"Oh my God." Tea whispered.

"He's been like that since the day they…" Mai didn't finish the sentence. "He doesn't eat or drink, just sits like a statue. He has taken the most damage. He tried to stop Yami, but Yami was so enraged. He didn't listen to him and shut him out. Yugi watched helplessly as they hurt you. He felt every blow you felt. What is killing him inside is that he couldn't stop them. Yami has been in the same condition. He now believes he is a dark individual and has secluded himself to the puzzle. He has shut off the mind link with Yugi." Mai explained.

Just then, grandpa came from the back. He went to Yugi first and said something to him, but Yugi didn't even blink. Grandpa tried again but no use. With tears in his eyes, grandpa shook Yugi, but to no avail. He didn't receive a reaction from the game king. Grandpa wiped his eyes clean and went to Tristen and Joey. He picked up the empty bottles first and then nudged them, to wake them. They groaned but didn't get up. After several tries, grandpa gave up and walked back from where he came. He returned shortly with some pillows and blankets.

"I guess they're are sleeping here... again." Mai said sadly.

Grandpa placed one under Joey's and Tristen's head each, and covered them with blankets. Then he went to Yugi and pushed him down on the floor. Yugi offered no resistance. Grandpa covered him with blankets and left the room. Even though Tea couldn't see his face, she could tell he was crying. His shoulders were slumped in defeat and he didn't look like the energetic man who ran the shop. All this because of her. Tea felt the guilt crawl up in her chest. Small sobs escaped her throat. She quickly turned away and ran blindly. She couldn't bear to see it anymore. Mai ran after the disturbed girl and caught up with her.

"Tea, are you okay?" She asked gently.

"I caused them to be this way Mai. I am ruining their life and future." Tea said between tears and sobs.

"But Tea, you can change that." Mai said. "I hate them for what they have done to you and I am not very close to them. You're the one they hurt and I know it's harder for you. But think of the good times you had with them and try to forgive them. You don't have to be friends with them and be all smiles if you don't want to, but please, stop them from throwing their life away like that. You're the only one who can do it." Mai said, her eyes shining with tears.

"Oh Mai, I want to… I really do… but when I think about… it's hard." Tea admitted.

"I know it's hard for you Tea, and I'm not forcing you. I didn't want you to feel guilty by showing you all that. I just wanted you to see the truth before it's too late. But there is no pressure. They deserve it. But still, if you can find it in your heart, then try to forgive them." Mai pleaded. Tea slowly nodded and started walking towards the Kaiba mansion.

* * *

She lay in the bed, all the thoughts jumbled up. She couldn't forget what she saw at the game shop; the blank look on Yugi's face, the sad and tired look on grandpa's face, Joey's and Tristen's condition and Mai's pleading eyes. All that made her feel even more guilty. But what should she do? Should she forgive them? Should she forget all they did to her? Should she forget the pain and nightmares that they caused her to experience?

"What's on your mind?" Seto's voice from beside her broke her train of thoughts.

"Nothing." She lied.

"Doesn't look like it, but if you say so. Go to sleep or you'll get sick." He murmured sleepily and placed an arm around her. She snuggled into his welcoming body and closed her eyes.

She couldn't forget the pain and mental torture they caused her. But she also couldn't forget the fun they had together, the many adventures they shared, and the many times they had saved her life. And she couldn't bear a grudge for too long anyway. Still, one thing still bothered her.

Would gaining her friends mean losing Seto?

...

* * *

...

this chapter is kind of sad. but it needs to be added there. I have been focusing on tea and seto and i think it's time I show the guys life a little bit. what do you think? review and let me know please.


	10. Chap 10

Disclaimer: "I do not own Yugioh."

"talk"

'thoughts'

* * *

...

_I __wanna heal, I wanna feel what I thought was never real  
I wanna let go of the pain I've held so long  
(Erase all the pain till it's gone)  
I wanna heal, I wanna feel like I'm close to something real  
I wanna find something I've wanted all along  
Somewhere I belong_

The lyrics of Linkin Park's song, 'Somewhere I Belong' rang through the air of the gym. Eyes closed, Tea let the music flow through her as he body danced to the music. From far, one may think her mind was empty with nothing but the music and the song lyrics on the mind. But in reality, the situation was very different. She was thinking about her old friends. Their faces kept appearing in her mind. Their past, their present and their possible future added weight on her mind. What was she to do?

_Will never know myself until I do this on my own  
And I will never feel anything else, until my wounds are healed  
I will never be anything till I break away from me  
I will break away, I'll find myself today_

Should she go to them and talk to them? But that would mean she forgave them. Didn't she? She wanted to, but a part of her refused to. She was torn between her heart and mind. Her heart cried at their present state and wanted to reach out to them. But her mind refused to help those who caused her so much pain and suffering. What to do? What to do? Ever since she saw them that day, she couldn't concentrate on anything. She felt that if she let this continue, she'd be somehow responsible for their downfall. This guilt was beginning to ruin her life.

_I wanna heal, I wanna feel what I thought was never real  
I wanna let go of the pain I've held so long  
(Erase all the pain till it's gone)  
I wanna heal, I wanna feel like I'm close to something real  
I wanna find something I've wanted all along  
Somewhere I belong_

_Wanna heal, I wanna feel like I'm somewhere I belong  
I wanna heal, I wanna feel like I'm somewhere I belong  
somewhere I belong_

Seto heard music coming from the gym and knew who was in there. He slowly walked in and peeked from the door. Inside, Tea danced like an angel, carefree and pure. She was so engrossed in her dancing that she didn't seem to notice that the song ended and another one started. Infact, she seemed like she was in a different world. He slowly crept behind her and watched her sway her hips to the music. She was beautiful. She was something he never thought he would have but he did. He had her for a long time, and now was the time to make her officially his.

Tea felt a presence behind her and opened her eyes. An arm snaked around her waist and a whisper urged her to continue dancing. Them familiar touch and the husky voice gave away the identity of the person. She relaxed and continued dancing. She was surprised when she felt him join her. She had never seen him dance before. She wanted to turn around and see his face, but his arms stopped her. She figured her didn't want her to see him just yet so she continued dancing.

Seto knew she wanted to face him and see him. And he wanted nothing more than to see her beautiful face too. But not yet. He wanted to feel her in his arms before he claimed her. He wanted to make sure she was there and not just a fragment of his imagination. But she really was there, with him, in his arms. They stopped dancing as the song finished. She turned around to face him.

"I didn't know you danced so well." She said smiling at him.

"I had great inspiration." He said and Tea blushed.

"I see you're all dressed up and ready to go to Kaiba corp." She said with a hint of concern in her voice. It was saturday but he was still going to work. He smiled at her concern.

"Yeah. I came here to tell you that I'm leaving." He said staring at her lips.

"Is… is that all?" She whispered, lost in his eyes.

"No. There's one more thing." He said brushing her lips with his thumb before covering them with his.

She gasped when his lips descended upon hers but quickly melted by his warm touch. The kiss was gentle, as if he was afraid he might break her. When she slowly responded to his kiss, that's when he unleashed the true passion he held in him. His lips hungrily devoured hers. He snaked an arm around her waist and crushed her body against his. Tea unconsciously leaned into him and kissed him back with the same passion.

She had been waiting so long for this day, this moment, to finally come and it had come today. All worries of her friends disappeared from her mind and the only thing she could think of were his lips and the fire he had ignited in her. He sucked on her bottom lip, asking for entrance and she quickly parted her lips to grant him. His tongue came darting in her mouth and coaxed her insides. Her own shy tongue joined his, making him growl with pleasure.

When they pulled back for breath, which they so desperately needed, their faces were flushed.

"That's all." Seto whispered in her ear before giving her a devilish smirk and exiting the gym, leaving her to catch her breath.

* * *

Tea hesitantly entered the game shop and spotted grandpa working silently. His shoulders were slumped and there were dark circles under his eyes. He really must be worried about Yugi and the others. She walked up to him.

"H… hi gramps." She said. His head snapped up.

"Tea. Is that really you?" He asked with shocked tone. "My God. I haven't seen you in ages."

"Yeah." She nervously replied. "I've been busy."

"Oh thank God you're here. You have to help me. I don't know what's wrong with Yugi or the others. They have been acting like zombies. They don't eat, sleep, or talk. They just sit. Maybe you can help them and see what is wrong with them. Talk to them. I know they'll listen to you." Grandpa urgently said.

"That's why I'm here, to talk to them." Tea said with a comforting smile.

"Oh thank you Tea. Come, I'll take you to them. They're in the back." Grandpa said and led her to the back room.

"Thanks grandpa. I'll take it from here. You can go back to the front." Tea said. Grandpa smiled and left, a look of relief and hope evident on his face. Tea took a deep breath and entered the room. They seemed to be in the same state and in the same clothes as well since the last time she saw them, and that was two days ago. But there was a new addition, Duke.

"Umm, guys." She hesitantly said. Joey and Tristen's head snapped in her direction as quick as lightening and their eyes widened.

"Tea?" Joey whispered in disbelief.

"Yeah, it's me." She said and walked up to them.

"Tea, look, we're really sorry and-." Tristen started but Tea raised her hand, stopping him.

"Stop it Tristen. I don't want to listen to anything." She said.

"But Tea, we really are sorry for what we did." Duke said, guilt showing on his handsome face.

"Like I said, I'm not here to listen to anything you have to say." Tea repeated. She had to stay strong. She would not succumb to emotion. She would do what she had planned.

"Then why are you here?" Joey asked. He was not meeting her eyes, she noticed.

"I… I saw you guys two days ago and… I was just really shocked." She said. "You guys are throwing your life away like this." She pointed at the empty beer bottles.

"It's better then taking a life." Tristen said, also looking away from her.

"But you are taking lives. Have you seen grandpa? He's worried sick because of you. He's an old man and this will cause him to die early and sad. And what about Mai? She was crying for you guys. And you, you don't care at all." She said.

"Grandpa… and Mai. Are they that worried?" Joey asked hesitantly, as if he was not ready to believe that.

"Yes they are. And if you care a little bit about them, you'd stop hurting them and yourself." Tea said. Then she walked up to Yugi, who hadn't moved from his spot, or looked at her.

"Yugi." She softly called out to her former best friend. He didn't respond. She sat before him and noticed the empty look in his eyes, the same look that was present when he had lost his star chips to Seto in Duelist Kingdom.

"I couldn't stop him." Yugi whispered. "I tried, I really did. But I couldn't. And he hurt you." Tears streamed down his face as he spoke.

"Oh Yugi, I don't blame you." Tea quickly said, watching the pain in his eyes. "I know you must have tried and I don't have anything against you. It was him who hurt me." She meant what she had said. She knew Yugi would not lift a finger to hurt her even if he was angry with her. It was Yami who was to blame.

"Tea, please forgive me. I'm sorry." Yugi broke down in sobs. Tea collected the broken boy in her arms, trying to stop his shaking. She knew how much Yugi must be hurting. This had happened once before during Duelist Kingdom, when Yami had refused to listen to Yugi and tried to attack Seto on top of a tower. The attack would have knocked Seto off the edge, killing him, but despite knowing that, Yami had gone forward with the attack. Yugi had been devastated at Yami's cold-hearted actions, and his refusal to listen to him. Yugi had started distrusting and fearing the spirit, and lost faith in his own strength to control him. Tea knew Yugi must be feeling something similar now as well.

"Yugi, don't cry. Please don't cry." Tears began forming in her eyes as well.

"We never meant to do it. None of us did. We were blinded by rage. We were stupid." Yugi kept on saying.

"I know. I know." Tea whispered, rubbing his back comfortingly.

"Tea, come back. We all miss you and we want things to be back to normal." Yugi said and Tea pulled back.

"I want things to go to normal too yugi. But…" She hesitated.

"But what Tea?" Joey asked. "What do you want from us? What do you want us to do? We are willing to take any punishment. We deserve it."

"I don't think I'm ready to be friends with you just yet. I don't know if I have completely forgiven you." Tea admitted.

"Oh." Tristen said lowering his head.

"I am trying. I really am trying, but it's hard." She said.

"Don't trouble yourself Tea." Duke said. "It's understandable. We don't want to force you or rush you. We just want you to know that we are all extremely sorry and ashamed of what we did."

"Take as much time as you need." Joey said.

"I don't know how long is it going to take, but I'm trying to forget it. Hopefully, I'll forget it soon and find the strength to forgive you." She said and got up.

"You're leaving?" Yugi said, desperately looking at her.

"Yeah. But please, stop all this. You're hurting a lot of people, including me. So, stop." She said and quickly walked out of the room. Grandpa saw her and spoke.

"How did it go Tea?"

"It was okay grandpa. I talked to them. Hopefully, they'd snap out of the trance." She said smiling at the old man's hopeful face.

"Aren't you going stay here? I haven't seen you in ages."

"Sorry but I can't. I have to meet someone. Bye grandpa." She said and left. She did have to meet someone, and that someone was up on the 101st floor of the biggest and tallest building of city, Kaiba Corp.

* * *

Serenity entered the Kaiba Corp. lobby with a racing heart. Should she really do this? Yes, she had to. That was her only choice. She took a deep breath and walked up to the receptionist.

"Hi." She said cheerfully to the receptionist.

"Can I help you?" The woman asked, scrutinizing Serenity with her cold eyes.

"Yeah. I'm here to meet Seto Saiba." Serenity said.

"Do you have an appointment?" The receptionist said in a bored tone.

"No, but I don't need one. You see, he knows me. I am Joey Wheeler's sister, Serenity Wheeler. I was at the Battle City blimp too and I spoke with Kaiba. He knows who I am." Serenity said and the receptionist's eyes widened ever so slightly.

"Really. Then you must know Yugi Motou as well. My son is a big fan of Yugi and Joey. He is crazy about dueling too. Can you get their autographs for him?" She asked excitedly.

"Sure. I can do that. In fact, I'll have them meet your son." Serenity said with a sweet smile. "Here is my number. You can give me a call when your son wants to meet them and I'll have it arranged." She wrote her number on a paper and handed it to the receptionist.

"Oh thank you so much." The woman said happily.

"So can I go see Kaiba now?" Serenity asked coyly.

"Why certainly. I know Mr. Kaiba knows Yugi and Joey so he most certainly should know you as well. Go right ahead. It's the third door to your left on the top floor."

"Thanks." Serenity said and walked towards the lift.

* * *

Seto was sitting in his office, when someone knocked on the door.

"Come in." He said, ready to yell at the person for disturbing him. It was the weekend, and very few employees were working today. He had specifically told them not to bother him, but obviously someone didn't value their job. He looked up, ready to fire the ignorant idiot, but was shocked to see Serenity's face.

"What the hell are you doing here?" He nearly yelled. He hated her with a passion, especially after what she had done to Tea.

"I'm here to see you." She replied.

"But I don't want to see you. How dare you even show your face after what you did to Tea?" He tried not to jump and strangle her.

"I did nothing. And why are you so angry? It's not like she's your girlfriend." Serenity teased.

"Shut up and get out before I have security throw you out." Seto said.

"Come on Kaiba. It's not my fault. They did it to her. You should be mad at them." She had the nerve to defend herself and blame everything on others.

"And who caused all that to happen in the first place? You did. So don't even try to fool me." Seto sneered.

"I know you can't be fooled. But I hate to tell you that Tea is fooling you. She's in love with Yami; she loved him and still does. So you're wasting your affection on her." Serenity's words caused his blood to boil. He moved forward and grabbed her throat in a tight grip. He lowered his face to speak to her.

"I have tolerated your pathetic existence in my space long enough. I'll let you know that I can hurt you in the worst way imaginable. I can have you killed. I can have you disappeared from the face of the earth and no one will ever find you. I can even erase the proof of your pitiful existence and you'll be nothing." Seto said in a dangerous tone, which removed the color from her face.

* * *

Tea walked towards the seto's office with the receptionist high on her heels, yelling at her to stop.

"You can't go in there. Mr. Kaiba is in an important meeting." She yelled, but Tea ignored her. She had told the woman that she was Seto's friend, but the woman didn't believe her. And since Tea didn't have an appointment, she was forced to argue and then sourly wait as the woman told her that Seto was in a meeting, and she would speak with him as soon as he was done. But that had been 20 minute ago, and from what Tea said, the receptionist hadn't made any move to see if Seto was free. Tea couldn't wait any longer. She wanted to talk to Seto and he had told her she was free to come any time she wished. And she wished to go now. She ran forward, leaving the receptionist behind, since she was wearing heals and couldn't run very fast. Tea could hear her threatening to call security, and she almost laughed. Let security come. It would be funny when Seto told them to leave her alone.

Tea took a deep breath and calmed down as she neared his office door. Surprisingly, it was slightly open. Seto always closed the door when he was working. What if Seto really was in a meeting and she barged in there? So she peeked through the small opening to see. What she saw shocked her. Seto was lip locked with Serenity. Tea quickly turned her head away, not wanting to see anything any more. So this was his important meeting. Tears fell from her eyes as she slowly sank to her knees, whispering to herself.

"He lied. He lied to me. He tricked me."

...

* * *

please review.


	11. Chap 11

Disclaimer: "I do not own Yugioh."

"talk"

'thoughts'

* * *

"He lied. He lied to me. He tricked me." She whispered over and over again. Tears fell out of her eyes as the scene replayed in her mind. He had lied to her. He had been lying to her all along, pretending to care for her and be her friend.

"He never cared about me. He was with her all along." She whispered and stood up. She didn't even bother to look in the room again and ran down the hall, wanting to be as far away from the room as possible. She didn't notice the receptionist who were chasing her before, nor the security guards she had called. She didn't notice the few workers who stared oddly at her. She didn't even care about the looks she received when she ran down the street towards the Kaiba mansion. All she cared about was to get rid of the wrenching pain in her heart.

_Seems like just yesterday  
You were a part of me  
I used to stand so tall  
I used to be so strong  
Your arms around me tight  
Everything, it felt so right  
Unbreakable, like nothin' could go wrong_

She ran upstairs towards her room, _their_ room, and fell on the bed crying. How could he do this to her? He played with her heart and she let him. She should have known he was still a heartless bastard who hated her. He must have done all this to cause her pain. And he had succeeded. She could feel herself falling apart.

_Now I can't breathe  
No, I can't sleep  
I'm barely hanging on_

_Here I am, once again  
I'm torn into pieces  
Can't deny it, can't pretend  
Just thought you were the one  
Broken up, deep inside  
But you won't get to see the tears I cry  
Behind these hazel eyes_

She felt broken and torn inside. Just like the time her friends had hurt her. Their assault was on her body and mind, but his was on her heart.

_I told you everything  
Opened up and let you in  
You made me feel alright  
For once in my life  
Now all that's left of me  
Is what I pretend to be  
Sewn together, but so broken up inside  
'Cause I can't breathe  
No, I can't sleep  
I'm barely hangin' on_

She looked around the room and all she could see was him. It was _his_ room after all. As she glanced around, memories of the time they spent in there came back to her like haunting dreams. She had trusted him, with her body, with her mind and most importantly, with her heart. She believed that they had formed a bond, a special connection. But how wrong was she. All that time, he was pretending. And that was what hurt her the most.

_Here I am, once again  
I'm torn into pieces  
Can't deny it, can't pretend  
Just thought you were the one  
Broken up, deep inside  
But you won't get to see the tears I cry  
Behind these hazel eyes_

She couldn't take it anymore. Everyone she trusted ended up betraying her. What could she do? Should she never trust anyone ever again? That would keep her from breaking any further, as if she wasn't already shattered. The image of Seto kissing Serenity flashed in her mind once again. Her tears of hurt turned to tears of anger. She wouldn't stand and watch him make a mockery out of her. No. She would leave.

_Swallow me then spit me out  
for hating you, I blame myself  
seeing you it kills me now  
No, I don't cry on the outside  
Anymore..._

For how long had he been a part of Serenity's plan? Did he plan to hurt her when he brought her to his mansion? Or did he decide it later? Those questions rose but none of them caused her more pain then thinking about Seto and Serenity's possible love affair. How long had they been together? She knew if she would ask him, he would lie to her. But she had enough of his lies. Besides, she would never be able to look at him with the same feelings ever again. She had thought she loved him. She had trusted him and had found out that he never felt the same.

_Here I am, once again  
I'm torn into pieces  
Can't deny it, can't pretend  
Just thought you were the one  
Broken up, deep inside  
But you won't get to see the tears I cry  
Behind these hazel eyes_

With a determined look in her eyes, she got off the bed and started gathering her things. She wouldn't stay here. She _couldn't_ stay here. The thought of leaving the place where she had gotten so comfortable caused her more pain, but she overcame it. Besides, whom would she stay for? Seto? The man who never felt anything for her. No. There was no point believing that he cared for her, and that somewhere in his cold heart there was a warm spot for her.

With all of her stuff packed in a bag, she walked down the stairs. Even though she knew she should leave this place and never come back, her heart still wanted to stay, to talk to him, to look at him one more time. But she wouldn't. He had caused her enough pain for one day, and shedding tears in front of him would only satisfy him. So far, for the past month, everything had been going according to _his_ plan, but this was the end. He may have caused her pain, but she wouldn't' give him the satisfaction to see her crumble and cry.

_Here I am, once again  
I'm torn into pieces  
Can't deny it, can't pretend  
Just thought you were the one  
Broken up, deep inside  
But you won't get to see the tears I cry  
Behind these hazel eyes_

* * *

"Yugi, do you really think we should be doing this?" A very hesitant Joey asked Yugi as they continued walking down the sidewalk.

"Of course Joey. She had the courage to come and help us after what we did to her. Why can't we have enough guts to meet her?" Yugi said.

"But she lives with Kaiba and he has guards. What if they don't let us in?" Joey asked.

"They will. And if they don't, we'll find a way. I'm not leaving until I see her." Yugi said determinedly and Joey reluctantly nodded.

They continued talking, Joey showing his concern once in a while when they noticed a familiar figure approach them. It was Tea. She was holding a bag in her hand and was running in their direction, but what shocked them both were the red, puffy eyes and tears. She was crying and didn't even notice them coming. Joey stood in front of her, hoping she would notice him and stop, but she was so engrossed in her thoughts and crying that she failed to see them and ended up bumping into him.

Tea just wanted to run to her apartment and cry her heart out. When she bumped into a person, she didn't bother to apologize. She quickly walked to her left, but the person grabbed her arm and called her name. The voice was awfully familiar, along with the New York accent. She turned around to face him.

"Joey." She said in shock. Yugi peeked from besides him, shocking her even more.

"What's wrong Tea?" Joey asked her in a worried tone. Tea stared into his worried and concerned eyes for a while, before collapsing onto his shoulder. Her bag fell to the floor as she used both hands to grip his shirt and cry.

"It's okay Tea. We're here for you." Joey whispered to her as he hugged her back, sharing a worried look with Yugi. At that time, Tea had forgotten her grudge against them. She needed support; a shoulder to cry on and she didn't care whom it belonged to.

"Let's go to the game shop." Yugi suggested, not wanting to stand in the street any longer. People were staring at them, making him uncomfortable.

"N… no. My place." Tea said between sobs and Joey nodded.

"Okay. Give me the keys." He said and Tea handed him the keys. Yugi picked up her bag and they started walking towards her apartment, the one that had been locked for a month.

Tea kept sobbing the whole way and leaned on Yugi and Joey for support. But as soon as they opened the door to her place, she ran into her room and locked the door. Joey and Yugi exchanged looks.

"What do you think is wrong with her?" Joey asked yugi, who shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know. But I'm going find out." He said and walked towards her room.

"I'll call Kaiba. Maybe he knows. She was coming from his mansion." Joey said and picked up the phone. He tried calling Kaiba but couldn't get through. No surprise there. He didn't think it would be that easy to talk to Kaiba when calling Kaiba Corp. But he didn't have any other number for him. He tried a dew more times, but no use. So he gave up and called Mai and the others instead.

Yugi slowly knocked on the door. Faint sobs could be heard coming from inside.

"Tea." He called out softly to her. But got no response.

"Tea." He called out again. "Please, talk to me. It's me, Yugi." Silence, accompanied by sobs was all he got. He tried several times, but she refused to answer him. Giving up, he was about to retreat when Yami spoke.

/Yugi, let me try. / Yami said. Yugi was shocked. This was the first time Yami had talked to him ever since that incident.

/No./ He flatly answered. /I don't think she wants to talk to you./

/Yugi please./ Yami pleaded. /I need to speak with her. I need to apologize for my barbaric actions. I am ashamed at my actions and I want her to know so. I want her to know I am sorry for what I did. My soul is in constant torture knowing how much pain I must have caused her, and I need to speak with her. Please Yugi, let me speak with her just for a few minutes./

/Are you sure?/ Yugi asked.

/Yes. Now please Yugi. Let me talk to her./ Yami said in a begging tone. Yugi knew how Yami felt about Tea. During the time she was away from them, Yami had probably suffered as much as him. The guilt and the loss of a possible love had taken its toll on the mighty pharaoh. He had lost his confidence and friendliness. He had secluded himself in the puzzle and had refused to talk to anyone, even Yugi. Yugi hadn't bothered talking to him wither since he was mad at Yami.

/Okay Yami. But be careful. She's hurt and-./ Yugi began expressing his concern but Yami interrupted.

/I know Yugi. That's why I need to talk to her./

/Okay./ Yugi finally said and switched with Yami. Yami stared at the door for a few seconds before speaking.

"Tea." He said in his deep voice. The sobbing stopped for a second. He assumed she heard him.

"What do _you_ want?" Came her voice from behind the door. The hatred being radiated in those words caused him to wince.

"I want to know if you're okay." He said.

"Why do you care?"

"Because I… I care about you Tea." Yami slowly said.

"Sure you do. You proved it already." Tea replied bitterly.

"I do care about you Tea. I know you're hurt. I can feel it. I just want to know what's hurting you. You do'n't have to open the door. Just... just talk to me." Yami said desperately. It felt like lifetimes had passed since he had seen her or heard her voice, and he wanted to do both. For now, he would suffice with hearing her voice and store it in his memory. Who knew when and if he would get a chance to speak to her again, not after what he had done to her.

"Don't bother pretending." Tea said.

"Does Kaiba know about it?" Yami timidly asked.

"Don't talk about that jerk. I hate him." Tea yelled from the inside and Yami knew instantly that Kaiba was somehow involved.

"Did you two get into a fight?" Yami asked, but got no response. So he took the silence as a yes.

"Tea, please talk to me. Maybe it'll help get the load off your chest." He said. No response came for a long time and he assumed that she didn't want to speak with him. He was about to leave when she spoke.

"He lied to me." She sobbed from the inside. "He was lying to me all along. He never cared about me. He never loved me." Her words slashed through his heart like a dagger. She loved him. She loved Kaiba. She had fallen in love with Seto Kaiba.

"What happened?" Yami asked after a considerable pause, ignoring the pain in his heart.

"I… I went to his office and saw him… kissing Serenity." Tea broke down in sobs again. Yami's hand automatically reached out to comfort her but was blocked by the door.

"I couldn't bear to watch it so I ran away from there." Tea finished.

"Did you talk to him?" Yami asked.

"No. After I saw him kissing her, I didn't even want to look at him." Tea said angrily.

"You should have talked to him Tea, to clear things out." Yami said wisely. "Things are not always what they seem to be. Take it from me. I know it." Yami said sadly and continued. "Maybe there was another explanation for all that. You should have talked to him and given him a chance to explain himself."

"I… I…" Tea didn't know what to say. She knew he was right.

"We never gave you a chance to explain yourself and we are still paying the price. Don't make the same mistake as us Tea. Make an effort to know the truth. Don't make assumptions like us or you'll end up losing someone very close and important to you." Yami finished, looking at the floor. The door opened and Tea ran into his chest, sobbing. Yami was surprised at her actions but slowly wrapped his arms around her, bringing her close to him. She cried while he rubbed her back soothingly in an effort to comfort her.

"It hurts so much Yami. It just hurts so much." She sobbed.

"I know." He whispered back to her. "Believe me, I know." After all, he had lost his love to his rival.

...

* * *

hahaha. Tea is back to trusting Yami. would she start loving him again too?

i'm so evil. but please review.


	12. Chap 12

Disclaimer: "I do not own Yugioh."

"talk"

'thoughts'

* * *

...

Seto entered the mansion with an angry scowl adorning his face.

"Damn that bitch Wheeler." Seto growled and threw his brief case on the couch.

"How dare she touch me? I'll make sure she is never seen in this city again. Good thing no one saw that." He started walking towards his room, hoping to see Tea. He hadn't seen her in the living room and thought she would be in his room… or their room. They had been sharing it for a long time and it was now 'their' room.

"Tea?" He called out her name upon entering the room. Nothing greeted him but the silence.

'Where could she be? Maybe she's with Mokuba.' He walked towards Mokuba's room and found him doing his homework, or at least pretending to do it. Tea was nowhere to be seen.

"Mokuba, have you seen Tea?" Seto asked his little brother who immediately looked up from his books.

"Seto, you're home. And no, I haven't seen her." Mokuba replied. "In fact, I haven't seen her all day." This worried seto.

"Ok." He turned to leave but then stopped. "Do you need help with your homework Mokuba?"

"Yeah." Mokuba sheepishly replied. Seto smiled at his brother's pride. Mokuba wasn't going to ask him himself. A Kaiba never asked for help.

After helping Mokuba with some math problems, Seto proceeded to search for Tea. He looked in the gym, the kitchen, the game room, the poolroom, and almost all the places where she usually hung out, but didn't find her. Worry and fear crept in his heart as he frantically ran inside the mansion again and again. Suddenly he saw a maid cleaning one of the bathrooms.

"Have you seen Tea?" he asked her immediately. The maid was startled by his presence and more shocked to find him acknowledging her presence. Normally, Seto ignored everyone in the mansion, except Mokuba and Roland.

"Well, answer me." Seto growled, scaring the maid.

"I… I saw her run out the door. She had a bag in her hand too." The maid replied, shaking in fear. Seto had a mean temper and she didn't want to be at the receiving end of it.

Seto's eyes widened with shock as he ran back to 'their' room. Just as he feared, all of her stuff was gone. There wasn't much stuff to begin with, but all that was, was now gone.

"I don't understand." He whispered to himself, completely confused. Why would she leave? And where would she go? Where could she be?

"Seto, is everything okay?" Mokuba asked. He stood in the door, watching his brother with worried eyes. He knew seto had grown close to Tea, and now, it looked like she was gone.

"No Mokuba. Tea's gone. And I don't know where she is." Seto said in a defeated tone.

"Maybe Yugi knows where she is." Mokuba suggested. Seto snapped his fingers at the idea.

"Of course. That midget will know it for sure." Seto knew Tea had her own place but he had never been there, nor had he bothered to ask her about it. She had gone there herself and gotten a few things. But Yugi would know, and Seto would make him tell her. He grabbed the phone and called the game shop.

"Hello, get Yugi on the line." He said in a demanding tone.

"What?" He responded to what he heard from the other side. "When? Okay." He hung up and turned to an awaiting Mokuba.

"So…" Mokuba asked with hopeful eyes. He too, was worried about Tea's sudden decision to leave.

"She is at her apartment, and so is the rest of the geek squad. I'm going there now."

"I want to come too." Mokuba said.

"No Mokuba. It's late and I don't know how long it'll take. You go to sleep now. I'll call you soon and let you know the situation." Seto said in a fatherly tone and waked out of the room.

* * *

Joey breathed in relief when Tea swallowed some food. Yami had finally managed to get her to come downstairs and eat something. Mai, who had arrived as soon as she received Joey's call, had prepared some food.

"Do you need water?" Yami kindly asked. Tea nodded and Mai handed her a glass, watching her with motherly concern. Suddenly, the doorbell rang and Tea's head shot up in its direction. Her eyes widened and she sprang upstairs again. Yami ran after her, calling her name. Joey, Tristen and Duke seemed puzzled but Mai had a thoughtful expression on her face. The bell rang yet again. Joey went to open it and was shocked to see Seto standing there.

"What the hell are you doing here? Haven't you hurt her enough?" Joey growled in anger.

"I can say the same thing to you Wheeler." seto said with equal ferocity. Both were ready to fight, when Mai stepped in.

"Kaiba, I don't think you should be here." Seto stared at her in anger and disbelief.

"Do you know what you're saying Valentine?"

"Yes Kaiba. Tea is upset and you're the last person she wants to see right now." Mai said calmly.

"What? She trusts me more then all of you combined." Seto argued. "Why wouldn't she want to see me?"

"Because you hurt her genius." Joey spoke.

"I didn't do anything to hurt her." Seto defended himself.

"Oh yeah. That's not what she told us." Tristen said.

"What _did_ she tell you?" Seto demanded because obviously, he had no clue what they were talking about.

"She said you hurt her." Duke said. "She didn't tell us the specifics of it, but she was clear about you being the cause of her recent problem."

"I don't recall doing anything to upset her." Seto said honestly, slightly confused at what Tea might be talking about.

"So are you saying that Tea is lying?" Joey said, getting agitated at Seto's refusal to admit his fault.

"I don't know whatr she is referring to or why she'd say that Wheeler." Seto said and got up.

"Where are you going?" Mai asked.

"I'm going to talk to her." Seto said.

"No you're not. You already drove her to her room again." Tristen immediately said.

"Yeah. We finally got her to stop crying and eat something but because of you, she ran to her room again." Duke said, shooting Kaiba a nasty look.

"I must talk to her." Seto said, getting even more worried about her state. She hadn't eaten anything all day and had been crying. But why? He would find out no matter what. Despite Joey and other yelling at him to stop, he went to a door he assumed to be her room. Much to his distaste, Yami was there. Their eyes met but no words were exchanged for a while.

"Kaiba. Talk to her. She won't listen to me again." Yami finally said, breaking their silence, and surprising Seto. He was expecting a fight, or at the very least, a heated exchange of words. He had his suspicions about Yami's possible romantic feelings for Tea, and thought the former pharoah would try to use this opportunity to wedge himself between Seto and Tea. Perhaps the pharoah really was noble, or more likely, Tea hadn't give him the hearty response he wanted and he figured he had no chance with her. Either way, Seto was glad he didn't have to deal with him. He nodded and slowly called out her name.

"Tea, it's me. Open the door."

"No. Leave." Came her broken voice. Seto could tell she was crying.

"Tea, why are you so angry? What did I do?"Hhe asked.

"You lied to me. You said you cared about me but you lied all along."

"No, I never lied to you. I-." He began but she interrupted him.

"You're lying again. If you really cared about me, then why did you kiss Serenity?" This not only surprised Seto, but yami and the rest of the gang who had all gathered there as well.

"What?" Seto said in a shocked voice? He thought no one saw it. But apparently she had.

"I saw you kissing her in your office today. You lied to me." She cried more. Seto's heart winced at the sound of her crying.

"Tea, it's not what you think. She came into my office and kissed me. I pushed her away as soon as I could." Seto tried to explain.

"You're lying again." She accused, not willing to disregard what she had seen with her own eyes.

"I'd never lie to you Tea. I'd never hurt you either. Because I care about you." Silence filled the entire house. "I have feelings for you. The day you stepped into my life, you caught my attention. And when you came into my house, you became my life. I couldn't hurt you without hurting my self. I'd never dream of hurting you." seto finished with his voice, barely above a whisper. He had finally admitted his feelings, not just to himself but to everyone else as well. The door opened, and out came a puffy eyed Tea.

"Oh Seto." She said and threw herself in his embrace. He held her close to him as she cried in his chest.

"I'm sorry I doubted you. I'm so sorry." She said crying. He rubbed her back soothingly.

"I'm sorry too, for not saying it earlier."

When they pulled back, everyone was surprised, but happy. Even Yami had a small smile on his face. Deep inside, he was hurt to see his love be with someone else. But the thought that she would be happy acted as the medicine.

"So, Serenity was the one who forcefully kissed you?" Joey asked with his head bowed low. What more was she going to do? Hadn't she embarassed him enough before his friends?

"Yes Wheeler. And I suggest you do something about her. Because I don't want to see her in this city again." Seto said through gritted teeth.

"I will." Joey said. This was a long time due.

* * *

Serenity sat nervously in her room. Ever since her visit to Kaiba Corp. and that kiss, she had been very scared. She knew she had gone too far. When she kissed him, she had asked for the worst. You didn't mess with Seto Kaiba and come out unharmed. But she had been completely blinded by jealousy and didn't know what she was doing. She had told the secretary to keep everyone away from his office for the time she was there. But then realized it would have been better if someone saw her with him.

When she heard footsteps approaching, she knew she had to do something fast to start rumors about him and her. Those rumors would do much damage to Tea and him. But what she forgot was that it was Kaiba she was messing with. Seto kaiba was a powerful man and could do anything to her. And what would Joey say if he found out? Kaiba would surely tell him, and she had a sinking feeling that Kaiba had told. She still had to confront him and the others for what she did before. And yesterday, Joey had told her he was going to do something about her. What did he mean by that? What was he planning on doing?

"Serenity, come outside." Joey said with an emotionless voice as he entered her room. She nodded and followed him out of her room and into the living room. Everyone stood there, glaring at her. Yugi stared at her with eyes she thought could never hold hatred and malign. Tristen's and Duke's loved filled, playful eyes now held anger as well. Seto's eyes bore holes in her head with anger and coldness. Tea just stared at her with accusing eyes. Mai's eyes also held anger.

Joey's expression was the worst. There was limitless anger and hatred, but there also was sadness, disappointment, and pity. There was shame and betrayal shinning in those once proud eyes.

"Joey, I'm sorry. I really am. I-." Serenity began talking but Joey raised his hand, silencing her.

"I'm done with you Serenity. I worked so hard to get the respect of these people I call my friends. When I walked with them, my head was always held high with pride. But then you did such things that brought my head down with shame. I didn't believe my best friend because of you. I hurt my best friend because of you. I can never look Tea or Kaiba in the eyes, all because of you."

"Joey, I'm sorry for all that. I'm willing to apologize to all of them." She begged.

"They won't forgive you. And even if they do, I will never. From today onwards, I'll think I never had a sister. It's better to forget you and think that I never had a sister then to remember what you did and what you cost me." Joey said.

"Joey please… don't say that." Serenity said with tears in her eyes, but Joey didn't budge.

"I called mom. She is here to take you with her. You'll stay with her again." Joey said and turned away from her.

"No, wait. I said I'm sorry. Please forgive me. Don't do this to me." She begged everyone, but no one was willing to even look at her with pity. Finally, her mom came into the house.

"Come one Serenity. Let's go home. I know you'll miss your friends but they can come to visit you later." She grabbed Serenity's hand and led her to their car.

"No they won't mom." Serenity whispered slowly. "I drove them all away. No one would come to visit me. I'll be all alone again, just like before."

Because of her shy and quiet nature, Serenity didn't have a lot of friends. And because of her stupidity and jealousy, she had driven away the ones she got. When she had them, she didn't realize their true value. And now she had lost them.

The car drove away, taking her away from the world she thought she belonged in, where she could have belonged, had she not gotten selfish and greedy.

"Well, whose up for some popcorn and a nice movie?" Joey asked as the car disappeared out of sight. Everyone stared at him with sympathy. Mai stepped fprward and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry Joey." She said. She knew Joey was the one who was hurt the most. It was his baby sister who did all that. The proud teen was so ashamed.

"No, I'm sorry. I should have taken care of her better. Maybe then, she would have turned out different."

"No one blames you Joey." Tea said and Joey faintly smiled.

"Thanks guys. I'm glad to know you're still with me." Joey smiled warmly this time.

"We'll love you if you buy us lunch." Tristen smirked.

"Yeah, I'm kind of hungry." Duke said.

"Okay, would a bag of pretzels work?" Joey asked and everyone laughed. Things were back to normal.

"Pretzels? You're even more pathetic then I thought Wheeler." Seto smirked.

"You wanna start Kaiba? Can I can start right now." Joey growled in anger, facing Seto.

"Then start barking. That is your job mutt." Seto said.

"That's it money bags. Now you're gonna pay." Joey said.

"I can do that. I'm rich. In fact, I think I'll pay for lunch and I will surely get something better then _pretzels_." Seto mocked Joey.

Joey and Seto continued to bicker with each other while the rest of the gang sweat dropped. Then a smile appeared on Tea's face.

"It's official. Things are back to normal." She said.

"Yeah. Normal. They are back to biting each others head off." Tristen said.

"Let's go get something to eat." Yugi suggested. "Kaiba already offered to pay."

"What about them?" Duke pointed to the arguing duo.

"They'll follow soon." Mai said and they all walked towards the nearest food joint.

"Hey, where are you going?" Joey said as he watched them walk away.

"They are trying to get away from your smell mutt." Seto said, as he too followed them.

"That's it Kaiba. Now you don't get a single pretzel." Joey threatened, walking after them as well.

"Boo hoo. I think I'm going to cry now." Seto mocked.

"You should." Joey said and they both caught up with the rest of the gang, all the while continuing their little "chat."

Completely normal.

...

The End.

* * *

It's a happy ending, to a sad story. Did you like it? Please review and let me know.

And I apologize for the delayed update. Don't hate me for it.


End file.
